Azerbaijani defense industry minister: We have launched production of
unmanned aerial vehicles

17 December 2009 [14:21] – Today.Az

APA’s interview with Azerbaijan’s Minister of Defense Industry Yavar Jamalov.

APA: The employees of Azerbaijan’s defense industry will mark their
professional holiday on December 17. What has the Ministry of Defense
Industry achieved within the last four years?

Yavar Jamalov: As to work of the ministry that I have led for the last
four years, I can say that defense industry was established in
Azerbaijan within the past four years. Thanks to the attention and
care of the head of state, a number of facilities have been
established and supplied with modern equipment. Cooperation has been
established with about 60 companies of 20 countries in aviation,
navigation, instrument-making and other spheres. Old equipment has
been updated, hundreds of new machines have been bought. A total of 21
facilities have been reconstructed within the reporting period. For
the first time in the international practice defense industry has been
established within four years and participated in the exhibitions
abroad. In a short timeframe we demonstrated 27 kinds of defense
products, small arms, bullets, air bombs and munitions in the IDEF
exhibition in Istanbul. Even the developed countries took interest in
our products. We are having talks with these countries on purchase and
sale. Talks with a Turkish company have ended and a contract has been
signed. According to the contract, we will sell 30 million 7.62mm
caliber munitions to that company.

What are your plans for the coming years?

We plan to overhaul 12 areas of production, buy modern technologies
from developed countries for production of 8 kinds of defense products
in 2010. Moreover, we are having talks to buy new technologies to
produce 5-6 kinds of products in the second half of next year.

What is the share of the defense industry in non-oil sector? How much
will this sector increase in near future?

I can say that the share of non-oil sector is increasing
year-after-year. Great improvements are expected in this field in near
future. It is early to predict figure of growth of this production.
But I can say that there will be significant improvements.

The production of new vehicles has started this year within the
cooperation with Paramount Group of the Republic of South Africa. Will
the cooperation with this company continue?

We have high-level relations with the Paramount Group. Together with
this company we have started producing 30 Matador and Marauder
armoured mine protected vehicles. In the first half of next year these
vehicles will be delivered to the Defense Ministry. I believe our
cooperation will continue in future.

In the Soviet times `Iglim’ and `Aviaagregat’ plants, which are now
subordinated to the Ministry of Defense Industry, produced important
parts for the air industry. Is Azerbaijan using its potential now? Do
you plan to produce military aircrafts and helicopters on basis of
these facilities in future?

Spare parts for Azerbaijani aviation are being produced in these
facilities. If they are effective, this kind of projects may be
implemented in future. We have also started work on production of
unmanned vehicles. I think this project will be implemented in 2010.

Azerbaijani government and a Singaporean company have recently signed
a memorandum on the construction of shipbuilding plant near Baku. Will
some navigation systems produced in Azerbaijani defense industry
facilities be used in the construction of ships in this plant?

Navigation systems are produced in some of our facilities. We have
enough practice and potential in this field. This company will mainly
produce civilian ships. If it is planned to produce warships, we will
participate in these projects.

`Istiglal’ sniper rifle demonstrated in IDEF exhibition attracted
attention. Do you plan to modernize Azerbaijan’s first national
weapon, and produce new small arms?

`Istiglal’ sniper rifle that we demonstrated in IDEF exhibition is
14.5mm caliber. On the basis of this weapon, we have started producing
IST 12.7, i.e. 12.7mm caliber model. We plan to produce 23mm and 30mm
caliber sniper rifles in 2010-2011. These will be purely national
products worked out by the local specialists. We have already begun
producing `Inam’, `Zafar’, `Zafar-K’ pistols, telescopes, cartridges
for sporting guns meeting NATO standards.

There were some reports that a project was being work out on
establishing new vehicles on the basis of Soviet-era PDM and T-55
tanks. What can you say about it?

We have begun modernizing Soviet-era vehicles and producing new
vehicles on their basis. A number of military bodies of Azerbaijan
have given five kinds of vehicles to us to modernize them.