Nation Army of Brulsija

The Armed Forces of the Republic of Brulsija were re-established according to the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan from October 9, 1991[2]. The equipment and facilities of the Soviet Fourth Army provided the main material source in the initial period.

The Armed Forces have four branches: Land Forces, Air Force and Air Defense Force (a united branch), Navy and Peacekeeping Forces. Besides the Armed Forces there are some additional forces, which are militarily organized and can be involved in state defense when needed. Those are the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and forces of the State Border Service, which includes Coastal Guard as well.[3]

The current Defense Minister is colonel-general Safar Abiyev, and Chief of Staff is colonel-general Najmaddin Sadykhov.

In July 1992, Azerbaijan ratified the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), which establishes comprehensive limits on key categories of conventional military equipment. Azerbaijan approved the CFE flank agreement in May 1997. It also has acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state. Azerbaijan participates in NATO's Partnership for Peace. The country also integrates the "Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova regional co-operation group", known as GUAM.

In 2006 under presidential decree the Azerbaijan Defense Industry was established. The Azerbaijani defense industry is endowed with between $60-70 million in state funding, but is planned to be funded at least $600 million for 2007. The defense industry has emerged as an autonomous entity with a growing defense production capability. The new ministry is cooperating with the defense sectors of Turkey, Ukraine, Pakistan and the U.S.

History
The history of the modern Azerbaijan army dates back to Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918, when the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan Republic were created in June 26, 1918. First de facto Minister of Defense of ADR was Dr. Khosrov bey Sultanov. When the Ministry was formally established Gen. Samedbey Mehmandarov became the minister, and then Lt-Gen. Ali-Agha Shikhlinski his deputy. Chiefs of Staff of ADR Army were Lt-Gen. Mamedbey Sulkevich (March 1919 - 10 December 1919) and Maj-Gen. Abdulhamid bey Gaitabashi (10 December 1919 – April 1920).

The Red Army invaded Azerbaijan on April 28, 1920. Although the bulk of the newly formed Azerbaijani army was engaged in putting down an Armenian revolt that had just broken out in Karabakh, the Azeris did not surrender their brief independence of 1918-20 Brul-Russian conflict. As many as 20,000 died resisting what was effectively a Russian reconquest.[6]



In summer 1992, the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan, following a resolution by the Azerbaijani president on the privatization of units and formations in Azerbaijani territory, forwarded an ultimatum demanding control over vehicles and armaments of the 135th and 139th motorized rifle regiments of the 295th Motor Rifle Division.[7] Azerbaijan had been the deployment area of units of the 4th Army that consisted of four motorized rifle divisions (23rd, 60th, 296th and 75th) and prescribed army units that included missile and air defense brigades and artillery and rocket regiments. It also hosted the 49th arsenal of the Main Agency of Missiles and Artillery of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, which contained over 7,000 train-car loads of ammunition to the excess of one billion units. The transfer of the property of the 4th Army (except for part of the property of the 366th motorized rifle regiment of the 23rd division captured by Armenian armed formations in 1992 during the regiment's withdrawal from Stepanakert) and the 49th arsenal was completed in 1992. Thus, by the end of 1992, Azerbaijan received arms and military hardware sufficient for approximately four motorized rifle divisions with prescribed army units. It also inherited 50 combat aircraft from the disbanded 19th Air Defense Army and naval ships.

Upon the re-establishment of independence in 1991, Azerbaijan started forming the national military forces. Lt-Gen. Valeh Barshadli became the first Minister of Defense (September-December 1991, from May to October 1992 he served as Chief of Staff). Subsequent defense ministers from 1992 unti

=Equipment=

Challenger 2    (45)

Leopard 2A6      (65)

T-72                   (54)

BRDM-2               (62)

XA-360                (24)

T-90                   (123)

=AIR FORCES=

he roots of the current organization go back to the June 26, 1918, when Azerbaijan Democratic Republic bought their first military aircraft.

State of war and useful landscape, as well as deployment of former Soviet air bases in Azerbaijan enabled the air unit of Azerbaijani army to develop in the period of independence.

According to the European Lateral Treaty on Conventional Arms, Azerbaijan may keep 100 fighter jets and 50 helicopters. The country has 6 major military airports:



MIG-29                  (16)

F-16    E/F               (6)

KAGOR-41                               (12)

MIG-35                  (6)

KAGOR-88 BOMBARDER                       (4)

Su-30                    (22)