Azerbaijani Air Forces

The Azerbaijani Air and Air Defence Force often referred to as the Azerbaijani Air Force (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan hərbi hava qüvvələri) is the air force and air defence force of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

Azerbaijani Air and Air Defence Force
Azərbaycan Hərbi Hava Qüvvələri
Azerbaijani Air Force emblem
Active1919, 1992–present
Country Azerbaijan
TypeAir force
RoleAerial warfare
Size12,000 personnel, ~220 aircraft (IISS 2014)
HeadquartersNasosnaya air base (near Sumqayit)
AnniversariesAir Force Day (14 February)[1]
EngagementsNagorno-Karabakh War
Commanders
CommanderLieutenant General Ramiz Tahirov[2]
Insignia
Roundel
Aircraft flown
AttackSu-24, Su-25
FighterMiG-21, MiG-29
HelicopterMi-8, Mi-17, Mi-171
Attack helicopterMi-24, Mi-35M
InterceptorMiG-25[3]
ReconnaissanceOrbiter UAV, Aerostar, Elbit Hermes 450, IAI Searcher, IAI Heron
TrainerL-39
TransportIl-76

History

The roots of the current organisation go back to June 26, 1918, when the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic bought its first military aircraft. After independence in 1991, the presence of former Soviet air bases in Azerbaijan helped the Air and Air Defence Force develop.[4]

On February 11, 2009, the commanding officer of the Air Force, General Lieutenant Rail Rzayev was assassinated outside his home.[5] Rzayev had been reportedly negotiating closer ties with the United States regarding air force modernisation before his death, possibly including the acquisition of US fighter aircraft.[6] The post was vacant until another officer, Mehtiev, was appointed in December 2009.[7]

Organization

Brinkster.net reported in October 2004 that the Azeri Air and Air Defence Force comprised a fighter squadron at Nasosnaya Air Base with MiG-25PDs and training variants, a bomber aviation regiment at Kyurdamir with Su-17/24/25, MiG-21s, and L-29/39s, a transport aviation squadron at Ganja Airport with Il-76s(?), Аn-12/24, and Тu-134s, a helicopter squadron at Baku Kala Air Base with Mi-2/8/24s, two aircraft repair factories, and two air defence missile units. Other air bases include Dollyar Air Base (which Jane's Sentinel says is reported to be non-operational)[2] Nakhichevan Airport in the Nakhichevan exclave, Sanqacal Air Base, and Sitalcay Air Base.

Air Defence Force

The Air Defence Force is a component of the Air and Air Defence Force of Azerbaijan.[2] There are some installations of the Cold War era left by the Soviets in 1990.

Infrastructure

The United States is the most active participant in the modernisation of Air Force airfields.[8] Airfields in Gala and the Nasosnaya Air Base near Haji Zeynalabidin settlement have been modernised with US support as part of the Azerbaijan-NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan. Special equipment were installed there to provide flight security. The starting command points, engineering control systems and engineering air force service were provided with new buildings. Negotiations over the modernisation of Kurdamir airfield are currently under way. An advanced Flight Control System has been installed at Dollyar Air Base with support from the United States.

Since September 2008, Turkey has helped to modernise the Air Force central command headquarters. According to a Turkish-Azeri agreement, a NATO standard central command management center will be installed there. A great number of projects such as joint manufacture of unmanned aircraft will be implemented with Turkey in the near future.[9][10]

The Gabala OTH Radar in Azerbaijan was operated by the Russian Space Forces. The radar station had a range of up to 6,000 kilometres (3,728 mi), and was designed to detect missile launches as far as from the Indian Ocean. It is not known whether Russia shared any of the radar's data with Azerbaijan. The equipment was dismantled and sent back to Russia after 2012.

In 2006, the US provided Azerbaijani military with additional radar installations. Plans were announced for the US to modernize one radar station near the Iranian border at Lerik and another near the border with Georgia at Agstafa. Joint work also commenced on two radar stations on the Russia-Azerbaijani border and Iran-Azerbaijani border to monitor Caspian Sea traffic.[11]

Personnel

Education

The Azerbaijan Higher Military Aviation School is the educational institution of the Azerbaijani Air Force and a branch of the education system of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan.[12] In 1997, the school graduated its first class of military pilots.[13][14] By presidential decree of 24 December 2015, the school was abolished and transferred to the Azerbaijan Higher Military Academy with the establishment of the corresponding faculties there.[15]

Azeri pilots are trained at the Azerbaijan Air Force School and then develop their skills further within their units. Azerbaijan has an experience exchange with Turkey, the United States, Ukraine, and a number of other NATO countries. Turkish Air Force School plays a great role in the training of military pilots.[16] The Azerbaijani pilots are also trained in Ukraine's Pilot Training School.[8]

Equipment
See also: Modern equipment of the Azerbaijani Air Force

Aircraft

The MiG-29 has been designated as the standard aircraft for the AzAF.[17] In September–October 2010, Azerbaijan purchased 24 Mi-35M from Rostvertol.[18][19][20] 8 of them have been delivered in the end of the first quarter of 2012 and four more in August 2012.[21] With the arrival of the MiG-29s, the Air Force appears to have retired the MiG-25 aircraft that it used to fly from Nasosnaya Air Base.[22] IISS estimates in 2007 reported 26 as still in service; other figures previously placed the total as high as 38.[23][24]

The Air Force retains in store L-29 and L-39 fighter training aircraft produced in the Czech Republic and Ukraine.[8]

Azerbaijan also manufactures Israeli-designed spy planes. Among the licensed UAVs is the Orbiter-2M and the Aerostar. Both are manufactured at the government-owned Azad Systems Company plant near Baku.[25][26][27] The head of the Defense Industry, Yaver Jamalov, said that by the end of 2011 a total of 60 UAVs will be produced.[28][29]

Current inventory
Azerbaijani Air Force Su-25’s perform a fly-by on Army Day 2011
Air Force Mil Mi-24's fly over during an army parade
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat Aircraft
MiG-21 Russia fighter 5[30]
MiG-29 Russia multirole 12[30]
Sukhoi Su-25 Russia attack 12[30]
Transport
Ilyushin Il-76 Russia transport 1[30]
Helicopters
Bell 412 United States utility 2[30]
Mil Mi-17 Russia utility / transport 65[30]
Mil Mi-24 Russia attack Mi-35 17[30]
Kamov Ka-27 Russia utility Ka-32 4[30]
Trainer Aircraft
Aero L-39 Czech Republic jet trainer 12[30]
PZL Mi-2 Poland rotorcraft trainer 7[30]
PAC Super Mushshak Pakistan trainer 10[30]
UAV
Hermes 450 Israel surveillance 12[31] two are Hermes 900[31]
IAI Heron Israel surveillance 5[31]
IAI Searcher Israel surveillance 5[31]
Orbiter Israel surveillance 10[32][31] produced in Azerbaijan
Aerostar Israel surveillance 4[31] produced in Azerbaijan[32]


Future developments

Jane's said in 2009 that 'efforts to acquire more modern hardware are understood to have been underway for several years, but funding constraints proved to be a stumbling block. Until quite recently, only limited success was achieved, with the most significant addition to the inventory being a handful of Su-25s that were obtained from Georgia in 2002. In 2007, however, Azerbaijan took delivery of the first of a substantial number of MiG-29 'Fulcrum' fighters. These are understood to have originated from disparate sources, including Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, with at least some having been overhauled at Odessa in Ukraine prior to delivery.[33]

Air defense equipment

Azerbaijan has also a number of missile systems covering Azeri airspace. The NATO designated SA-2 Guideline (original name S-75 Dvina) has been installed around Baku and additional installations are near the border with Iran and Dagestan. Some are installed to defend against Armenian aircraft. In terms of numbers, the IISS reported in 2002 that Azerbaijan had 100 S-75 Dvina, S-125 Neva/Pechora, and S-200 systems.[34] Among them are the medium range SA-4, for short range the SA-8 and the SA-13 mobile SAM and the ZSU-23-4 Shilka vehicles to cover the armored forces against airstrikes. Azerbaijan has also lighter AA guns and shoulder-launched SAMs varying quality.

In 2009 Azerbaijan's Defence Ministry signed a contract with Russia's Rosoboronexport company to buy two battalions of S-300 PMU-2 "Favorit".[35][36]

In January 2012, Azerbaijan and Israel signed a $1.6 billion deal that includes anti-aircraft and missile defense systems.[37]

Air Defense
Name Origin Type In service Notes
SAM
S-300PMU2[38] Russia SAM system 2 units with 200 missiles[39]
9K37 Buk-1M Russia mobile SAM system 2 units[39]
Pechora-2TM Russia SAM system 2 units[39]
Igla-S/SA-24 Russia MANPADS 1000[39]

Accidents and incidents
  • January 29, 2008: Azerbaijani air force MiG-29 crashed into the Caspian Sea during a training flight. Both crew members on board MiG-29 were killed.
  • March 3, 2010: An Azerbaijani Air Force Su-25 crashed in the Tovuz region of Azerbaijan[40] killing the pilot, Famil Mammadli. An investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the crash.
  • February 3, 2011: An Azerbaijani Air and Air Defence Force Su-25UB crashed in the Kurdamir region of Azerbaijan. Both crew members were not injured.
  • July 24, 2019: A MiG-29 fighter belonging to the Azerbaijani Air Force on a night training flight crashed and fell into the Caspian sea. The pilot is missing.
gollark: Consider: `mother-in-law` - ONE word, or THREE? `and/or` - ONE word, or TWO?
gollark: OR DOES IT?
gollark: ++data get bismuth
gollark: Your absence permitted me to [REDACTED] LyricTech™ subsystems and hide the log evidence, not that you could have done much anyway.
gollark: Incorrect, actually.

See also

References
  1. https://www.azernews.az/nation/161762.html
  2. Jane's Sentinel Security Assessments – Russia and the CIS: Air Force, dated June 18, 2009
  3. "Azerbaijan to modernize MiG-25 foxbats included in Air Forces's inventory". en.apa.az. Azeri-Press Agency (APA) LLC. February 4, 2014. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  4. "Military Balance 2013." Archived October 1, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, March 14, 2013.
  5. The New York Times, Head of Azerbaijan's Air Force Shot Dead, February 11, 2009
  6. Eurasia Critic, Only Bridge Between West and Caspian Falling Apart
  7. "Azerbaijan: Commander of Air and Defense Force appointed – aysor.am – Hot news from Armenia". Aisor.am. December 14, 2009. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  8. Azerbaijani Press Agency, Azerbaijan's military aviation opportunities Archived August 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, February 14, 2009
  9. "Turkish company Global Teknik offers joint production of unmanned aircraft to Azerbaijan". Defpro.com. June 4, 2010. Archived from the original on June 10, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  10. "Turkey to propose joint production of drones with Azerbaijan". News.az. November 3, 2010. Archived from the original on August 23, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  11. Azerbaijan & U.S. joint installations Archived March 1, 2010, at the Wayback Machine and U.S. radars in Azerbaijan Archived June 28, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  12. "Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Azerbaijan". mod.gov.az. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  13. https://mod.gov.az/en/air-forces-260/
  14. https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/azerbaijan/af.htm
  15. http://armiya.az/ru/news/153001
  16. https://jamestown.org/program/interaction-turkish-air-forces-boosts-azerbaijans-air-combat-capability/
  17. "Azerbaijan shows 4th generation MiG-29 multirole fighter jets". Today.az. March 29, 2007. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  18. "Azerbaijan buys 24 Russian attack helicopters". News.Az. February 24, 2011. Archived from the original on February 26, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  19. ""Роствертол" увеличил в прошлом году чистую прибыль в 3 раза". "1News". February 23, 2011. Archived from the original on October 3, 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  20. "Azerbaijan purchased from Russia 24 Mi-35M". "Arms-Tass". February 24, 2011. Archived from the original on February 26, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  21. "В Азербайджан доставлена очередная партия вертолетов Ми-35М". "1News". August 17, 2012. Archived from the original on August 14, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  22. Flight Global World Air Forces 2014 Archived January 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine December 10, 2013
  23. "Defence Statistics 2013" Archived September 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine August 1, 2013
  24. "Defence Statistics 2014" Archived October 19, 2017, at Archive-It May 15, 2014
  25. "Azerbaijan's Spying Carpets". Eurasianet.org. March 4, 2011. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  26. "Azad Systems starts UAV production". "Flightglobal". April 8, 2011. Archived from the original on March 14, 2011. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
  27. Reed Business Information Limited (May 22, 2013). "Aeronautics strengthening Israel-Azerbaijan links". Archived from the original on December 25, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  28. "Azərbaycan ilin sonuna qədər 60 ədəd pilotsuz təyyarə istehsal edəcək". "ANS Press". May 11, 2011. Archived from the original on September 20, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  29. "До конца года Азербайджан произведет 60 беспилотников". Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
  30. "World Air Forces 2020". Flightglobal Insight. 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  31. "Trade Registers: "Israel to Azerbaijan"". sipri.org. 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
  32. Jane's Sentinel Security Assessment, Russia and CIS, June 18, 2009, http://www.janes.com/extracts/extract/cissu/azers120.html
  33. IISS Military Balance 2002, via Brinkster.net
  34. "Russian press: Azerbaijan signed a contract to buy S-300 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia – UPDATED". En.apa.az. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  35. "Russian press: Azerbaijan signed a contract to buy S-300 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia". Milaz.info. Archived from the original on August 1, 2010. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  36. "Israel signs $1.6 billion arms deal with Azerbaijan". Haaretz.com. February 26, 2012. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  37. Trade Registers Archived May 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Armstrade.sipri.org. Retrieved on 2012-12-18.
  38. "Trade Registers". Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  39. "Military aircraft crashed in Azerbaijan". Today.az. March 4, 2010. Archived from the original on March 5, 2010. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
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