Azerbaijan gains self-sufficiency in ammunition supplies of Army

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijan has significantly increased domestic production of the weaponry and military equipment in an effort to strengthen its defense capabilities.

In recent years, Azerbaijan could achieve self-sufficiency in military production, ensuring its domestic demand in weaponry.

The country established its national military industry to avoid dependence on foreign supplies of equipment. Hundreds of military equipment items are manufactured by the enterprises of the Defense Industry Ministry, which was established in 2005.

Defense Industry Minister Yaver Jamalov has recently said the domestic production fully provides the national army with all necessary ammunition.

The ministry expanded the range of defense products, manufactured by the defense industry enterprises.

Domestic production includes the Istiglal sniper rifle, Mubariz rifle, Orbiter-2M unmanned intelligence drones, Gurza armored patrol car, "Matador" and "Marauder" armored vehicles, anti-tank mines etc.

Furthermore, more than 50 new production facilities have been built in Azerbaijan from 2006 to 2015.

In his interview to ‘Azerbaijan’ newspaper, Jamalov said they are focused on supplying the army with modern weaponry.

Jamalov noted that so far Azerbaijan has mastered the production of over 1,000 kinds of defense products and spare parts for them.

This includes the modernization of universal and tank guns, anti-tank hand grenade launchers, mortars of various calibers, and shells for them, armored vehicles such as BTR and BRDM, according to the minister.

In the meantime, Azerbaijan undertakes measures to export its strategic military goods to the foreign countries. Azerbaijan plans to export ammunition to a range of countries, including Arab countries, Iraq, Russia and the U.S.

Jamalov said overall in 2015, the volume of defense products, handed over to customers, increased 210 times compared to 2006.

Azerbaijan is also mastering the production of shells for six types of artillery and tank guns, automatic weapons, according to Jamalov.

The ministry's subordinate enterprises could master the production of over 450 kinds of products of civil and dual-purpose.

Azerbaijan also plans to produce a new generation of unmanned aerial vehicles, including the UAVs targeting to destroy the enemy army.

Furthermore, the minister stressed that there are projects which are economically unprofitable. "For example manufacturing tanks and helicopters are not beneficial from the economic point of view," he said, but didn’t rule out the production of such equipments in the future.

The Defense Industry Ministry closely cooperates with more than 60 companies from various countries.

The development of the military is under special focus in Azerbaijan, a country that remains in a state of war with Armenia. The strengthening of the country’s military goes in line with the country's legal right of liberating its occupied lands by means of war should it be necessary.

The armed forces are continually modernized and equipped with newest and strongest weaponry as the revenue of Azerbaijan increases.

Azerbaijan's military expenditure has developed rapidly in recent years, and in a short time, the military budget has increased more than 20 times.

Azerbaijan’s military budget for 2015 is $5 billion, which is considerably more than last year's $3.8 billion in military expenditures. The country's military budget exceeds the overall state budget of occupant Armenia by $2 billion.