Defense Minister on Army Building Process

Baku / 21.06.18 / Turan: 80% of the personnel of the army are staffed by professional servicemen hired under a contract. Servicemen with a five-year or longer experience control military equipment. In the army there is no training equipment, all training takes place in combat vehicles. Over the past five years, more than 30 military camps have been built, the Azerbaijani Defense Minister Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov told a group of journalists on June 20 while speaking at the military range of the 877th motorized rifle brigade. This happened on the eve of the military parade in honor of the 100th anniversary of the creation of the armed forces of the AR (June 26, 1998).

The Minister reported on the fulfillment of the instructions of the Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev on the fundamental reform of the army. In a few years the army will be fully trained in accordance with the new Regulations on the Azerbaijani Army. The organizational and staff structure has been changed and equipped with the most modern weapons with a high destructive ability. We plan that in a year or a year and a half the task will be completed, he said.

All combat vehicles are mostly replaced or deeply upgraded, and this process continues. New T-90 tanks have been obtained, and the T-72 tanks have been thoroughly modernized and are capable of performing tasks at a high level.

New BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, new tracked vehicles BTR-82, new Suncat armored vehicles, new artillery systems, equipped with the most modern systems of exact destruction of distant targets, etc., have been purchased.

The Azerbaijani army is one of the rare ones, in which the central command post, reserve command post, aviation, air defense forces and other kinds of troops are 90% controlled by an automatic system. Being in the office and command post, the Minister of Defense sees online all enemy positions up to an individual. A large amount of money is spent on reconnaissance and control of the troops.

Rocket systems can accurately and at a far distance hit the opponent's targets. Azerbaijani missile forces are capable of more effective defeats of targets than enemy missiles. At the military parade, the people will see the modern means of air defense of Azerbaijan, Galkhan and others, which shoot down aerodynamic and various missile targets.

Recently, the commander-in-chief personally opened a new artillery-missile military unit equipped with modern weapons. There is a military principle: targets are destroyed in proportion to their importance. We acquire such weapons that are most needed. Our artillery is sufficient to destroy all enemy targets with one volley," the Minister said.

Equipping with modern weapons is one part of the army reform. The other side is that trained personnel are needed to manage and maintain this equipment. For this, the structure of military training has been reformed. Several important decisions have been made, and the Main Directorate of the Ministry has been set up, which has undertaken the training of military personnel. The training programs have been updated, new gyms have been built, and more than 15 new different training areas have been created. All military specialties are carried out by professional servicemen on a contract basis. Today 80% of the employees of the Azerbaijani army are officers and ensigns. 15% of the servicemen are called on the basis of mobilization and appointed to the position of shooters. Tanks and other equipment are controlled by professionals with a minimum of five years of service. There is no training technology in the army, and professionals study on combat vehicles.

According to the instructions of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the servicemen are exempt from non-military work - they do not wash dishes or cook food, and this has positively affected the discipline and quality of training of servicemen in the army.

The question of equipping the army with clothing and grocery provisions is very important. Over the past 4-5 years, more than 30 military towns have been built, equipped with modern heating, air conditioning, showers, kitchens, etc. There are no problems in providing military personnel. "We weigh soldiers on the first day of conscription, after 6 months of service and after completing the service in the army. If a soldier is fed, clean and well-dressed, then we can demand that he carry out orders," Hasanov explained.

In the first Karabakh war, soldiers deserted, and they were found and again brought into the army. And in April 2016, when I was changing the location of a command post, passing by one district, I saw how the police blocked the way for a large number of crowded people. I was informed that these were young people who came from different regions of Azerbaijan to participate in the war. I then asked to inform the people that the army with small forces in contact with the enemy - and this was only 18% of the army, the first and third corps, the reserve corps did not even leave the places of deployment, - defeated the enemy. After three days of fighting, we knew who the winner was. The patrons of the enemy understood this, numerous requests to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief about the cessation of hostilities began, and they promised to soon resolve the issue, so that the battles ceased. We stopped the fight. We carried out the order. Our goal was not a great war, after the fulfillment of international tasks the issue will be resolved peacefully or militarily. I will not talk about peace, as we are faced with the task of preparing the army for war. Military-psychological state of the army and its equipment is at a high level, and the army is ready for war," said the Minister of Defense.

"On June 26, on the orders of the Commander-in-Chief, a military parade will be held in Baku, where only new and modern equipment will be displayed. Some of our weapons will not be taken to the parade, and we will think about using and demonstrating this technique," he stressed.

By the centenary of the creation of the army, about 500 officers, serving 20 years or more, will receive new apartments for personal, not official use. The list of those waiting for their turn has been shown to me," said General Hasanov. Over a year, more than 300 officers will be provided with office flats.

A video was prepared in which the operation of the Nakhchivan Armed Forces is accurately shown. The concept of "neutral territory" does not exist. There is an international interstate border. The Azerbaijani army moved not over a neutral territory, but on the Azerbaijani land occupied by the enemy for more than 25 years. We lost the serviceman Tatarov from Agstafa during the successful and disguised operation. He became a martyr.

"Eleven thousand hectares of territory were liberated, and the most important thing is that the road leading to Lachin was taken under control. We do not hide this, this tactical operation is very important, and I am pleased with the actions of the army in Nakhchivan.

Why did not we give information about this operation on time? When Sargsyan's situation worsened, he began to appeal to the actions of the Azerbaijani army in order to retain power. We could not pander to Sargsyan, and therefore we did not report the successful operation," the Minister said.

"Aviation consists not only of aircraft. Our specialists believe that helicopter technology is more effective in the Karabakh war. Modern helicopters of the Azerbaijani army are capable, without approaching the advanced positions and being at a distance of 10 km from the front, to hit targets at a depth of 20-30 km.

The SU-25 jet is very good, and the pilots call it a tractor for the ability to take off from various terrain and for its solid armor. In fraternal Turkey, these planes were modernized."

Answering journalists' questions, Hasanov expressed his readiness to cooperate with public organizations to control the army, and asked not to publish false information about the death of servicemen, citing examples.

"50,000 mothers of soldiers read the press and die several times until they reach accurate information," the General said.

60% of the Azerbaijani army serves in the trenches. President Ilham Aliyev sets before Hasanov the task of planning military operations in such a way as to minimize losses of manpower. The financial costs of the army are controlled and determined by non-military organizations.

"The servicemen are engaged only in military training, day and night. Trainings require large funds, as each shell and combat vehicle has a price. All the army's needs are met by the state."

Hasanov believes that some publications in the Azerbaijani press about the poor quality of the purchased weapons are coming from the special services of Armenia, to undermine the people's faith in the army. The same services tried to quarrel Azerbaijan with Israel, but they failed.

There is no army without shortcomings, but the task of the press is to increase patriotism, Hasanov said, drawing attention to the destructive work of Armenians in social networks, posing as Azerbaijanis and spreading lies among the Azerbaijani population.

Video footage of the Defense Minister's full speech here https://www.facebook.com/Herbi.Xeberler/videos/2286352561375702/ -0-