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Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan
Let me clear uo this S-300 matter once and for all.
1) There is no deal for S-300 between Russia and Azerbaijan. The media source that originally released the news is well known for journalistic BS. The Russian official arms export agency (Rosoboronoexport) has denied it.
2) I wish the reports were true. If Azerbaijan has $300 million to spend on weapons, I would rather see them spending on air defense than on other weaponry that can inflict more serious defense to us (like long range artillery). By the way, $300 million is about a third of the Azeri defense budget which also has to cater for soldier's salaries, food, clothing, housing, fuel, equipment maintenance etc. I really hope they buy those two S-300 batteries and even order some more...
3) In case the Azeris are seriously considering the S-300 from Russia (or another system from a different source): Our entire Air-Force consisting of fifteen 25-year old Su-25s and about the same number of equally old helicopters is worth no more than $60 million at the present market values. If our Air Force is scaring the Azeris so much that they are going to invest $300 million into air defense...Then our Air Force has already done a good job without firing a shot.
4) The hypothetical Azeri S-300 will hardly alter the balance of power on the NK front. It is a very expensive and complex system designed to deny massive air attacks by manned/unmanned aircraft and cruise missiles against important targets. Our air assets pose little threat to the Azeri heartland. This S-300 sytem has very limited use against our aircraft and helicopters that will be carrying out close air support missions at lower levels on the battlefield around NK. We will win the war on the ground, the action in the air will be less intense.
5) The Azeris already have the 200 km range S-200 (SA-5)sytem which is the predecesor of the S-300. It is not like they did not have some long range SAMs.
6) The S-300 is not an Anti Ballistic Missile (ABM) complex, it's primary targets are air-breathing ones like airplanes and cruise missiles. It has decent ABM capabilities only against the shorter range tactical Ballistic missiles such as SCUD. By the way, I have yet to see proof that we have SCUD missiles. In any case, the old SCUDs are not very accurate and will not be used against oil pipelines, regular artillery or saboteur/demolition teams can do that job better.
7) There are 2 distinct types of S-300 SAM systems, both of them are mobile:
-The S-300 that we are talking about is the type used by regular air defense units. They come under the names S-300P , S-300PT, S-300 PMU etc. It comes on a wheeled chassis, it has limited off road capability and is used to defend mostly fixed targets.
-The other type is called S-300V. It is a completly different system that shares nothing (apart from a similar name) with the other type. The missiles, radars, everything is different. It is a SAM system that moves (advances/retreats) with the army. Hence, it is on a tracked chassis to enable it to move off-road.
8) The Russian forces in Armenia (based in Gyumri) use the S-300V model (1 battery). The systems belong to the Russian Army.
The Armenian air defense units use the S-300PT model (3 batteries around Yerevan, a possible fourth one in Artsakh). They are our property. By the way, our defense budget can not afford these toys, the Russians made them available to us.
The alleged sale to Azerbaijan was mentioning about the newest variant (S-300 PMU-2).
Let me clear uo this S-300 matter once and for all.
1) There is no deal for S-300 between Russia and Azerbaijan. The media source that originally released the news is well known for journalistic BS. The Russian official arms export agency (Rosoboronoexport) has denied it.
2) I wish the reports were true. If Azerbaijan has $300 million to spend on weapons, I would rather see them spending on air defense than on other weaponry that can inflict more serious defense to us (like long range artillery). By the way, $300 million is about a third of the Azeri defense budget which also has to cater for soldier's salaries, food, clothing, housing, fuel, equipment maintenance etc. I really hope they buy those two S-300 batteries and even order some more...
3) In case the Azeris are seriously considering the S-300 from Russia (or another system from a different source): Our entire Air-Force consisting of fifteen 25-year old Su-25s and about the same number of equally old helicopters is worth no more than $60 million at the present market values. If our Air Force is scaring the Azeris so much that they are going to invest $300 million into air defense...Then our Air Force has already done a good job without firing a shot.
4) The hypothetical Azeri S-300 will hardly alter the balance of power on the NK front. It is a very expensive and complex system designed to deny massive air attacks by manned/unmanned aircraft and cruise missiles against important targets. Our air assets pose little threat to the Azeri heartland. This S-300 sytem has very limited use against our aircraft and helicopters that will be carrying out close air support missions at lower levels on the battlefield around NK. We will win the war on the ground, the action in the air will be less intense.
5) The Azeris already have the 200 km range S-200 (SA-5)sytem which is the predecesor of the S-300. It is not like they did not have some long range SAMs.
6) The S-300 is not an Anti Ballistic Missile (ABM) complex, it's primary targets are air-breathing ones like airplanes and cruise missiles. It has decent ABM capabilities only against the shorter range tactical Ballistic missiles such as SCUD. By the way, I have yet to see proof that we have SCUD missiles. In any case, the old SCUDs are not very accurate and will not be used against oil pipelines, regular artillery or saboteur/demolition teams can do that job better.
7) There are 2 distinct types of S-300 SAM systems, both of them are mobile:
-The S-300 that we are talking about is the type used by regular air defense units. They come under the names S-300P , S-300PT, S-300 PMU etc. It comes on a wheeled chassis, it has limited off road capability and is used to defend mostly fixed targets.
-The other type is called S-300V. It is a completly different system that shares nothing (apart from a similar name) with the other type. The missiles, radars, everything is different. It is a SAM system that moves (advances/retreats) with the army. Hence, it is on a tracked chassis to enable it to move off-road.
8) The Russian forces in Armenia (based in Gyumri) use the S-300V model (1 battery). The systems belong to the Russian Army.
The Armenian air defense units use the S-300PT model (3 batteries around Yerevan, a possible fourth one in Artsakh). They are our property. By the way, our defense budget can not afford these toys, the Russians made them available to us.
The alleged sale to Azerbaijan was mentioning about the newest variant (S-300 PMU-2).
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