BAKU (UPI)—Azerbaijan is expected to acquire 60 small Israeli-designed unmanned aerial vehicles built under license in the oil-rich former Soviet republic that’s moving closer to the Jewish state as the Baku government modernizes its military.
The burgeoning military and intelligence alliance between the countries is causing growing concern in Iran, Azerbaijan’s southern neighbor, and in nearby longtime rival Armenia.
The Israeli Aerostar and Orbiter 2M UAVs are being manufactured by Baku’s Azad Systems Co., a joint venture between Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry and Aeronautics Defense Systems of Israel.
That’s the country’s third largest UAV manufacturer after Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit Systems.
Around 70 percent of the components are produced in Israel, the rest in Azerbaijan.
Sixty of the drones are to be delivered to Azerbaijan’s armed forces by the end of the year, primarily for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
Azerbaijan’s military already operates Elbit Systems’ Hermes 450 and IAI’s Searcher reconnaissance drones, as well as some of Aeronautics Defense Systems’ Aerostar and Orbiter craft.
Azerbaijan Minister of Defense Industry Yavar Jamalov told the Azerbaijan Press Agency earlier this month that Baku is considering the production of missile-armed UAVs within the next two years, a development guaranteed to deepen Iranian and Armenian concerns.
The UAV deal with Azerbaijan allows Israeli manufacturers to pick up some of the slack that appeared when Israel’s strategic military alliance with Turkey collapsed in 2010.
APA reported that Aeronautics Defense Systems beat out several Turkish defense firms, including TAI, Baykar Makina and Global Teknik, for the UAV venture set up in March.
Azerbaijan, which lies in the energy-rich Caspian Basin, has oil reserves of more than 1.2 billion barrels as well as 4.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. It is one of Israel’s largest suppliers of crude oil.
Earlier this month, Israel’s air force marked the 40th anniversary of the formation of its first UAV unit, Squadron 200 at the Palmachim Air Base on the Mediterranean coast south of Tel Aviv from where IAI satellites are launched.
This is a good opportunity for Armenia to openly sell all kinds of weapons to Hamas, Hezbolla, PKK, Taliban etc in the spirit of profit and business.
Armenia should also send her scientists to make sure Iran develops her nuclear capability correctly without any mistakes.
All in the spirit of business of course.
Amen, brother!!!!!
Unfortunately, we are not Jews. Whereas what they do is labeled purely business, what we do will definitely warrant the full force of international pressure.
Turkey and Iran go against Israel and they get turned into laughing stocks. Armenia? Come on now. I think it would be better to show the Arab world why they should not trust Azeros instead of going against Israelis head on.
Kevork my good brother 100 % , Armenia never announce what it dose , Armenia is more in deeds and action rather than just talking and that’s the spirit of surviving that’s why Azerbaijan is not attacking only barking . ( mezi Hay gsen )
I would think that a “drome killing drone” is about the best thing to have about now. It is rather comical how the big powers are going broke building Billion dollar planes, so now they revert to cheap simple toys to do the same thing. This trend is an equalizer. Because building a drone is cheaper than building a car. The Engineering what is the most difficult to master. But with a captured drone…. Pretty soon everyone will have them. Apparently the Tatars were not too happy with loosing one of their drones, so they decided to buy the Jewish model.
Couldn’t have said it better myself, this is the same country that merely a couple months ago sent a delegation to Armenia in the spirit of strengthening “Armenia/Israel relations”. I guess the age old saying still applies, “With friends like these, who needs enemies?!”
Seems Israelis stance re the Turkish Genocide of our Armenian peoples is much like the Turkish stance – denying the Turkish Genocide of the Armenian nation ever occurred… Too, Israelis’ stance thence becomes as one where they cannot ‘recall’ that the HItler Genocide of the Jews followed the Turkish Genocide of the Armenian nation – by a mere twenty (20) years. Truths being denied by Turkeys and Israelis… still today – on again/off again – dishonestly denials… lying to themselves, as to the world.
youre absolutly right, except for the taliban.
we could flex some muscle too, there are more armenians in the middle east than turks, in lebanon, jerusalem. why dont WE mediate.
but we do need to strenghten our ties with palestinians and kurds.
also agree on the nuclear reactors of iran
Shame to Israel !
This is very disheartening for Armenians. Who’s side is Israel on? It looks as though they’re on our enemy’s side the Azeris. Isn’t this disgraceful?
why not make better one yourselves and sell them to everyone
Great idea Kevork, and then Armenia can be labeled a state sponsor of terror by the US!
I get what you are driving at but there are more subtle and realistic ways to hurt the azeris and israelis.
one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter. armenia shouldnt care what the us or europeans label them.
In this case this is absolute stupid when a leading Israeli news papers once again abusing Armenian genocides and in an dismounts move calls for the recognition of Armenian genocide by Turkey… and more stupid is when some Armenia media re-print such articles and statements.. Where Israel is arming fascist Azerbaijan against Armenian and NKR as if this is not enough that Turkey is causing a danger to Armenia! !
I do agree : Armenan scientists should make sure that Iran and Hams get the capability correctly as soon as possible without any mistakes.!
it is high time that Armenia cuts its reaming diplomatic relations with Israel!
thats the first step… if we armed their enemies, they wouldnt stop bitching
Awesome idea Kevork, let’s get embroiled in other conflicts which Armenia has no direct interest in and cannot afford to get involved with. Seriously? The Taliban? I hope you were kidding.
Great Point Random Armenian. It is sad what I am reading here!! is this really how we feel?? I hope the politicians who are managing Armenian affairs are wise and not intrigued by emotions.
An Israel who cannot sit on the pot or get off the pot when it comes to admitting that an Israel shall recognize the historically known Turkish Genocide of the Armenian nation… (the Jewish Genocide followed the Turkish Genocide of the Armenians – just twenty (20) years later). Imagine, if the Turkish Genocide of the Armenians had been judged for the Turks to grant reparations via President Woodrow Wilson’s efforts, to the Armenians, too, at that time – IMAGINE – Genocides would have been recognized, Genocides shall ended – forever, and the Jewish Genocide shall never have happened… IMAGINE!!
Oh, and now Israel supplies the Azeris (openly involved against Armenians of Artsakh (Russians named our Artsakh as Nagorny Karabagh) – and it is the USA which supports all Israels endeavors… but then again, what has Israel ever done for the USA – or for that matter their recognizing the issue of the Turkish Genocide of the Armenians – followed by the Nazi Jewish (and many others) Genocide – 20 years later!!
Is the friend of my enemy my enemy?
in politics, yes!
US and Russia sell weapons to Azeribaijan too. It is all about $.
Whats all the fuss? The US sells to everyone and anyone, lets not forget Iran Contra, how about all the lef wing gurrillas armed by CIA?
Get serious, Israel will do what it wants, sell to anyone it wants and if it wants to it will use Armenia for political arm wrestling. Much like the Russians , the Americans, Germans. Who supplied Saddam Hussien with all the know how for chemical weapons? UK, Germans, France?? and they used against the Kurds.
TRhe reality is we have to stop relying on others and get behind Armenia with global finacial support, to aquire or build new weapons technology.
With a few billion, Israel will even give Armenia the required codes to detect and destroy whatever they have supplied them.
In short, Money talks for everyone , not just Israel.
You want me to give my hard earned cash to a bunch of Soviet era “unoti shoon” Huyastansi’s..hahahahahahaha….you belong on the Comedy chanel…..hahahahahaha
Your comment reeks of ignorance. What is anoti shoon Hayastanci’s supposed to mean? Do you mean to insult all people who are from Armenia proper now or in Armenia? People like you absolutely disgust me.
I am referring to the oligarchs and governement and I am talking from personal experience…why dont you travel there and try doing some work with them and you will understand…try donating some time and money and see how corrupt and evil they are…your ignorance disgusts me
All I do hope that Armenians stay calm and smarter, the way they are now, and will never reveal Armenian made drones and technology for a show off…our secret will be our strength..let’s azePYjan be proud of Israeli made kites…Only God knows how much defective parts will be there….Jews are not stupid people to let their technology in the hand of dictatorial Islamic nation…azerPYjanis are living in a temporary peaceful period, and their “spring’s” are not too far away from Arab spring…Israel will never let Russians or Iranians get into their advanced secrets of military technology…lately Turkish military acknowledged, that Israeli made drones inabilities, and technical problems, in order to fight effectively against Kurdish rebels in mountainous area of Kurdistan, in South East Turkey and Iraq!!
Israel is not our enemy, they are just not our friends. For them, friendship is friendship, but the cheese costs money. Yesterday, Turkey and Israel were so friendly, I thought they would marry. Today they are threatening each other. Wait, The Tatars will slip. There is no friendship between Islam and other religions. Tomoro they will hate each other.
First of all Israel and a big part of Jewish Diaspora did hindered the official recognition of Armenian genocide by the US government – For Israeli President – Shimon Peres- There were no such thing as Armenian Genocide!
Secondly Israel is creating a lot of problems for the Armenian community and Armenian Church in Jerusalem
Third Israel is arming Azerbaijan (with different t kinds of spy technology, ) and threatening the very existence of NKR and forcing Armenia to increase its defiance budget
Beside this Jewish community in Azerbaijan (so called “mountain Jews”) being turned to an additional Anti Armenian tool by officials in Baku!
Israel. Better to say “the Jewish state” has become de facto the number one enemy of NKR , Armenia and in the whole Armenian people !
Seems Obama administration too, has need to follow, as usual… the Israelis stance. But WHY?