RUSSIA TO SUPPLY MISSILE SYSTEMS TO KARABAKH REBELS – AZERI EXPERT
B. Safarov and N. Allahverdiyev
Ekho
Jan 22 2008
Azerbaijan
Most likely, Russian armaments: A military expert believes that
Karabakh separatists, with Armenian help, will acquire weapons
from Russia
Russia supplying arms to Iran and Armenia
As "Ekho" has already reported, this year Karabakh separatists
are planning to purchase a new air-defence system. This has been
reported by the "defence minister" of the unrecognized formation,
Movses Akopyan. According to him, every square metre of the sky above
Karabakh is protected and in the event of danger three fire positions
will operate simultaneously. "But the equipment needs updating, and
this year we shall be increasing expenditure on the acquisition of
new types of armaments," he said.
At the same time, the Russian media reports, Akopyan refused to name
the country from whom the separatists might acquire such weaponry and
the new air-defence system. Meanwhile, it is worth recalling that the
western media had earlier reported about two deliveries by Russia of
a similar type of armaments to our region to Iran and Armenia. It was
previously reported that Russia would supply Iran with modernized
S-300s which would be capable of shooting down American or Israeli
warplanes in the event of a strike against Iranian nuclear targets.
Iran has already confirmed that Russia has agreed to provide this
country with S-300 air-defence missile systems. Iranian Defence
Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar said in an interview to Iranian
television that this deal had been agreed within the framework of
a previous "contract". Russian defence experts have also admitted
that this missile defence system, which was initially developed in
the 1970s, will considerably improve Iran’s potential to knock out
enemy aircraft. Apart from this, as RIA Novosti has earlier reported,
"Russia will help Armenia in the development of its air-defence
forces. This was stated by the commander-in-chief of the Russian air
force, Army General Vladimir Mikhaylov. He said Russia is inviting
forces of its 102nd base, deployed in that country, to set up the
air-defence system in Armenia.
Armenian forces have a multi-echelon air-defence system, which includes
missile systems for both long-range and medium range of operation
(S-125, S-75 and Kub) and close-range missile and artillery air-defence
systems, as well as mobile air-defence systems (Osa, ZSU-23-4, Igla
and Strela). Furthermore, the expected addition to the strength of the
Armenian air-defence troops of the new missile systems will virtually
neutralize Azerbaijan’s superiority in combat aircraft. For his part,
the military expert and editor-in-chief of the 3rd Views agency, Rauf
Racabov, said in an interview for Ekho that it was difficult to say
categorically that the military equipment acquired by the separatists
was of Russian manufacture, because he did not have full information
about this. "But if one bears in mind that Nagornyy Karabakh is
under Armenia’s full control, and Armenian military doctrine states
that the security of the Armenian Republic starts immediately from
the occupied territories, including Karabakh, then in this instance
there is the likelihood of these being the Russian-made systems which
Armenia is receiving," Racabov stressed. The expert recalled the UN
Security Council resolution on the ban on supplies of modern types
of armaments to uncontrolled zones. He noted the need to carry out
monitoring on Azerbaijan’s occupied territories.
Suspicion on Russia
"It is very important to the member-countries of the UN Security
Council and other states in the group involved in settling this
conflict, including Russia, that the shadow [of suspicion] does not
fall on them. So it is in Russia’s interests that this question
is resolved and that it can be said with certainty that Russia
has nothing to do with this," Racabov went on. At the same time,
he pointed out that in the course of several years, the question of
the identification of air-defence missile systems has been tackled
at the level of the CIS and other international structures. He also
believes that it is one thing to supply to Iran and Armenia. "Russia
has every right to do so and it is a question of bilateral relations
in the military field, but Karabakh is another matter".
At the same time the expert ruled out the possibility of the
separatists acquiring air-defence systems from Iran. "Iran itself now
needs its own protection from hypothetical American strikes which are
possible before May of this year. They themselves need a "shield". In
this instance Iran is purchasing Russian systems to protect its
own targets with this "shield", Therefore, in this instance this is
very unlikely. Also, it is the armed forces of Armenia and not Iran
who are on Azerbaijan’s occupied territories." Racabov also ruled
out the sale of military equipment to the separatists by European
states. "No European country will do this. I think that this may
emanate from Armenia, if you bear in mind the remarks by Armenian
military officials", he concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
