Azerbaijan is not incapable of responding to France's weapons - military expert

Unable to come to terms with its defeat in the 44-day war, Armenia insists on arming itself. It is worth noting that prior to the war back in 2020, Russia was the main weapon supplier for the country. Following the war, Armenia's seeking ways towards diversifying its arms foreshadows Armenia's unsoothed rancour and revanchism. Previously, information about the arms deal between Armenia and India was circulated in some media outlets. The arms deal included Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers (MBRL), anti-tank missiles, rockets, and ammunition worth US $250 million to Armenia.

However, France has started to compete with India in arming Hayastan for several months.

It is inevitable that France defends Armenia through an active network formed by the diaspora and lobbyists and supports it in various fields. However, this support has never ended in arming the latter. Obviously, France, crossing the red line, went straight to the table to ink a contract that would change the fate of Armenia and even the region, as many experts think so. Many explain the attitude of France as trying to compensate for losses in Africa. In any case, on October 23, in Paris, the Minister of Defense of Armenia signed an agreement with France regarding the supply of three Ground Master GM200 air detection radars and Mistral surface-to-air missiles.

As regards the technical parameters of these weapons, the military expert Adalat Verdiyev noted that the GM 200 radar station belongs to the tactical class and is used in the air defense forces as a multi-functional rotating radar system in 3D mode. The equipment stationed on the base of a 4-axle truck is placed in a large container and aimed at detecting flying objects at an altitude of 24km at a 70-degree azimuth angle.

“This radar station allows for the detection of targets flying at an altitude of 24km at a 70-degree azimuth angle. The GM 200 radar station is equipped with an antenna that rotates 20 times per minute in reconnaissance mode. In battle mode, it is possible to increase the rotation speed if necessary. The Armenian armed forces had similar radar stations during the civil war and used them widely. However, the use of this type of radar station did not allow the air defense troops of Armenia to fully perform their duties,” the military expert said.

As for the Mistral rockets, A.Verdiyev told that they belong to the class of portable anti-aircraft rocket complexes. Their firing range varies from 500m to 6 km. He pointed out that these rockets, made in France in the 80s, were later modified several times.

“These rockets, which were produced in a fairly large number - about 160 thousand units - were used by many countries in various military operations. But in no case were mistral rockets considered the main weapons against aircraft in military operations. A rocket that fires at least 6 km belongs to the class of short-range weapons. Air targets usually fly at altitudes of about 8 to 10 km. This limits their capabilities against air targets,” he said.

The expert underscored that, in any case, the fact that Armenia made such high-level public announcements about the weapons system that Armenia is trying to acquire suggests that Armenia is addressing this issue to its domestic audience. He emphasized that usually, the purchase or sale of weapons is carried out in a somewhat closed and confidential manner.

“Normally, when states purchase weapons, they provide such secret information first to the UN arms registry, and when the time comes, they deploy these weapons on the ground. This time, we see the complete opposite. Even after the war, we have repeatedly heard information about Armenia's purchase of weapons from India and France, but today we are observing the first signed document on the real implementation of this information. Armenia's purchase of defensive weapons with such bold statements will, in any case, deal a great blow to ensuring peace and stability in the Caucasus. Against these weapons, Azerbaijan will give a sufficiently coherent and effective response to the hostile steps of France. Of course, if those weapons approach the Azerbaijani border or if they try to use these weapons against Azerbaijani air vehicles, Azerbaijan will take all necessary steps,” Adalat Verdiyev concluded.