Preparatory exercises held with participation of military hardware that will attend parade in Azerbaijan

The preparatory exercises were held with participation of the military hardware that will attend the parade in Baku on the occasion of the Day of Armed Forces – June 26.

With the exception of armored track vehicles, modern military vehicles of Land Troops, Air Defense Troops and other military structures of Azerbaijani Armed Forces participated in the exercises. The servicemen, who attended the preparatory exercises, said the armored track vehicles did not participate in the exercises, in order not to damage the asphalt coverage of the square.

According to the program, following the personnel the military hardware will parade. Motorcycle group will move ahead of the military hardware. Along with the driver, an observing soldier armed with PK machine-gun will be on the motorcycle.

Military vehicles such as – Mersedes Benz, Hummer, BMC, UAZ, Land Rover Defender will participate in the parade. Various models of Land Rover Defender vehicles and Cobra armored carriers bought from Turkey’s Otokar company by Azerbaijani State Border Service will be paraded for the first time.

Land Rovers with anti-tank missiles, Internal Troops’ Hummers with Azerbaijan-made 82-mm mortar launchers, unmanned aircrafts and their mobile command-control systems will be demonstrated during the parade.

The most attractive hardware elements will be air defense systems, which is a part of Azerbaijan Air Defense Forces’ arsenal. New S-300 PMU “Favorite was added to S missile series (S-125 Pechora, S-200) this time as distinct from the 2008 parade. Azerbaijan strengthened its air defense forces with the latest model of air defense systems. This system was purchased from Russia.

Azerbaijani artillery will also parade on June 26. Howitzers of different calibers, BM-21 “Grad”, Israel-made Lynx LAR, Lynx Extra, Ukraine-made Tochka-U tactical air missile, Smerch multiple artillery rocket system, as well as automotive artillery weapons and other will be demonstrated during the parade.

The most interesting moment in the parade is the first demonstration of the products of Azerbaijani national defense industry. Thus, the IST-14.5 “Istiglal” sniper rifles, elaborated by Azerbaijani engineers, will be carried on “Land Rover” transport vehicles which will pass after servicemen with motorcycle. “Matador” and “Marauder” anti-mine carrier vehicles, produced by the Ministry of Defense Industry jointly with “Paramount Group” company of the Republic of South Africa will be firstly demonstrated in the row of military equipments of Land Forces. 6 “Marauder” and 6 “Matador” carrier vehicles will participate in the parade. Some of these transport vehicles will be armed with weapons of local production.

Besides, 9 armored personnel carriers and 3 combat reconnaissance patrol vehicle modernized in Azerbaijani enterprises, will participate in the parade. BMP model infantry combat vehicles, self-moving howitzers and “T-72” tanks will finish the march of military equipment.


/APA/