Russia Refuses to Sell �Bal� Missile System to Azerbaijan

Moscow / 12/05/18 / Turan: The Kommersant newspaper reported on Moscow"s refusal to supply "Bal" missiles to Azerbaijan.

The military believe that this coastal missile system will pose a threat to Russian ships in the Caspian.

"Bal-E" is intended for control of territorial waters, protection of bases, coastal infrastructure and sea communications. The complex includes self-propelled command and control centers, self-propelled launchers with anti-ship missiles, transport and handling machines. The range of destruction is up to 120 km.

According to the publication, the parties had initialed a contract for the supply of a small batch of "Bal" missiles and several dozen 3M24 missiles (export version of the X-35E missiles). But the agreement was not signed finally. The calculations of the Russian side showed that even the export modification of these missiles could pose a potential threat to the ships of the Russian Navy in Russian territorial waters.

The Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation and Rosoboronexport declined to comment the matter.

According to a high-ranking source, the issue of "Bal" deliveries to the Azerbaijani military is not discussed also because of "a very delicate geopolitical nuance." Since in recent years the X-35 type rocket has been modernized for the destruction of earthly targets, Moscow does not want Baku to use these weapons in Nagorno-Karabakh, the source said. -02D-