Azerbaijan's Military Might: A Comprehensive Overview

Azerbaijan's military capabilities have been ranked highly in recent years, with the country investing heavily in defence and national security. In 2023, Azerbaijan's military was ranked 57th out of 145 countries in the Global Firepower Index, with a Power Index score of 0.9391. The country's active military personnel exceeded that of neighbouring Armenia by 20,000, with a total of 65,000 active soldiers, 300,000 reservists, and 15,000 paramilitary personnel. Azerbaijan has been working to develop a professional, well-trained, and mobile military, with a particular focus on strengthening its armed forces in line with the Turkish model. The country has a defence budget of over $3 billion and has signed numerous contracts to enhance its military capabilities, including the acquisition of advanced weaponry and technology.

Azerbaijan's military ranks 57th in the world

The country's available manpower stands at 5.073 million, including 3.8 million fit for service. The total military personnel is 380,000, of which 65,000 are active soldiers, 300,000 are reserve, and 15,000 are paramilitary personnel. In addition, there are 300,000 former service personnel who have had military service in the last 15 years.

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces were re-established in 1991 after the country gained independence from the Soviet Union. The armed forces consist of three branches: the Azerbaijani Land Forces, the Azerbaijani Air and Air Defence Force, and the Azerbaijani Navy. Associated forces include the Azerbaijani National Guard, the Internal Troops of Azerbaijan, and the State Border Service.

Since gaining independence, Azerbaijan has been working to develop a professional, well-trained, and mobile military. The country has undergone extensive modernisation and capacity-expanding programs, with the military budget increasing from $300 million in 2005 to $2.46 billion in 2009. Azerbaijan has also signed numerous contracts with Turkey to strengthen its armed forces and provide training for its military personnel.

The Azerbaijani Land Forces are the ground force component of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces and consist of five army corps: the 1st Army Corps (also known as the Barda Army Corps), the 2nd Army Corps (Beylagan Army Corps), the 3rd Army Corps (Shamkir Army Corps), the 4th Army Corps (Baku Army Corps), and the Nakhchivan Separate Combined Arms Army. The Land Forces include motor rifle brigades, an artillery brigade, a multiple rocket launcher brigade, and an anti-tank regiment.

The Azerbaijani Air and Air Defence Force is a single unified service branch with around 8,000 personnel and approximately 106 aircraft and 35 helicopters. The Azerbaijani Navy has about 2,200 personnel and a fleet of patrol craft, frigates, and landing craft.

In recent years, the Azerbaijani military has been accused of committing war crimes during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including the indiscriminate shelling of Armenian civilians and the execution of captive Armenian soldiers. However, the country's military capabilities and victory in the Second Karabakh War also demonstrated the significant growth of its military capabilities.

The country has around 85,000 ground troops

Azerbaijan's Land Forces, or ground troops, are the land force component of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. The country has around 85,000 ground troops, with additional paramilitary forces of 15,000. There are also 300,000 former service personnel who have had military service in the last 15 years.

The Azerbaijani Land Forces were established in 1918 when the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) was founded after the fall of the Russian Empire. The Land Forces currently consist of five army corps: the 1st Army Corps, also known as the Barda Army Corps, is deployed near Ganja; the 2nd Army Corps, or Beylagan Army Corps, is concentrated against Armenian-occupied territories, with part deployed on the Azerbaijan-Iranian border; the 3rd Army Corps, or Shamkir Army Corps, is also concentrated against Armenian-occupied territories; the 4th Army Corps, or Baku Army Corps, covers the Absheron Peninsula and the coast; and the Nakhchivan Separate Combined Arms Army is deployed in Nakhchivan.

The Land Forces include 23 motor rifle brigades, an artillery brigade, a multiple rocket launcher brigade, and an anti-tank regiment. The IISS Military Balance reported in 2007 that the Land Forces had an estimated 40 SA-13 Gopher, SA-4 Ganef, and SA-8 Gecko air defence missile systems, with '80–240 eff.' to support the army in the battlefield.

In recent years, Azerbaijan has been preparing its military for possible action against Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, with intermittent fighting breaking out, most recently in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. During this conflict, the Azerbaijani army was accused of committing war crimes against Armenian soldiers and civilians, including indiscriminate shelling of civilians and the use of cluster munitions.

Azerbaijan has signed numerous contracts with Turkey to strengthen its armed forces and train its military personnel. The country has a growing defence budget, increasing from around $300 million in 2005 to $2.46 billion in 2009. Azerbaijan's defence spending is the second-highest in the Commonwealth of Independent States, after Russia.

Azerbaijan's defence budget has increased significantly

The increase in defence spending follows Azerbaijan's victory in the Second Karabakh War against Armenia in 2020. This conflict has led to ongoing tensions between the two countries, with Armenia yet to sign a peace agreement. Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev, has justified the increased spending as a necessary measure to counter the threat of "Armenian fascism".

Azerbaijan's military capabilities have grown significantly as a result of this increased defence budget. The country has been intensively modernizing its army, with plans to build new tanks, armoured vehicles, military planes, and helicopters. The number of active military personnel in Azerbaijan exceeds that of Armenia, with 65,000 soldiers, 300,000 reservists, and 15,000 paramilitary personnel as of 2023. In addition, Azerbaijan has superior aircraft and ground combat vehicles.

However, despite the rise in defence spending, there have been concerns about corruption within the Azerbaijani military and questions about where the additional funds are allocated. There is also criticism of Azerbaijan's human rights record, with allegations of war crimes committed during the Second Karabakh War.

The country's armed forces consist of three branches

The Azerbaijani Land Forces number 85,000 strong, according to UK Advanced Research and Assessment Group estimates. The 2,500 men of the National Guard are also part of the ground forces. In addition, there are 300,000 former service personnel who have had military service in the last 15 years. Other paramilitary agencies consist of Interior Ministry Internal Troops of Azerbaijan, 12,000 strong, and the land component of the State Border Service, 5,000 strong.

The Azerbaijani Air and Air Defence Force has around 106 aircraft and 35 helicopters. The country has four major airbases. Nasosnaya (air base) has fighters, Kyurdamir Air Base has a bomber regiment, Ganja Air Base has transports, and Baku Kala Air Base has the helicopter unit. There are also four other airbases which do not appear to have aircraft based there.

The Azerbaijani Navy has about 2,200 personnel. In 2010, the navy had a Petya-class light frigate, Qusar (G 121), and a number of patrol craft, including one Turk class, Araz, P 223, one Brya (Project 722) class, P 218, one Shelon (Project 1388M) class, P 212, one Poluchat class (Project 368), P 219, one Luga class (Project 888), T 710, and four Petrushka (Polish UK-3 class), P 213, P 214, P 215, and P 216. There are four minesweepers consisting of two Sonya class minesweepers and two Yevgenya class minesweepers. The Navy is also attributed with five landing craft, three Polnochny and two Vydra, plus three research ships, one Project 10470, A 671, ex Svyaga, one Balerian Uryvayev-class survey vessel (AG) and one Vadim Popov-class survey vessel (AG).

Azerbaijan's army has been accused of war crimes

Azerbaijan's military capabilities have been ranked 59th out of 145 countries in the 2024 Global Firepower review. The country's armed forces consist of three branches: the Azerbaijani Land Forces, the Azerbaijani Air and Air Defence Force, and the Azerbaijani Navy. In addition, there are associated forces, including the Azerbaijani National Guard, the Internal Troops of Azerbaijan, and the State Border Service, which can be involved in state defence under certain circumstances.

The Azerbaijani army has been accused of committing war crimes during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International both condemned the indiscriminate shelling of Armenian civilians, including the use of cluster munitions. Videos circulated online also showed Azerbaijani soldiers mistreating or executing captive Armenians, which received widespread condemnation. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed deep concern regarding "severe and grave human rights violations committed during 2020 hostilities and beyond by the Azerbaijani military forces against prisoners of war and other protected persons of Armenian ethnic or national origin".

In response to these accusations, the Azerbaijani authorities have arrested and charged several soldiers with war crimes. The Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan announced the arrest of four servicemen accused of defiling Armenian bodies, mistreating Armenian troops, and vandalising gravestones. The Azerbaijani prosecutor general described these incidents as "contrary to the mentality of the Azerbaijani people", and warned that anyone else suspected of similar war crimes would face legal consequences.

The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an escalation of a long-standing conflict between Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the self-declared Armenian breakaway state of Artsakh over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The war lasted for 44 days and resulted in an Azerbaijani victory, with a ceasefire agreement signed on November 10, 2020, ending all hostilities in the area. The conflict resulted in thousands of casualties and displaced thousands of people on both sides.

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