Baku, June 26 (AzerTAc). Joint operational and tactical exercises of the formations and units of the Ministry of Defense, Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Border Service have been held on the occasion of the 96th anniversary of the establishment of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev watched the joint operational and tactical exercises.
Defense Minister Col-Gen Zakir Hasanov reported to the President and Commander-in-Chief.
Col-Gen Zakir Hasanov informed Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev of the master plan of the site where joint operational and tactical exercises were to be demonstrated.
The head of state reviewed new and state-of-the-art military hardware, weaponry and ammunition of the Azerbaijani army.
Army building is now among key priorities in the country. It is of immense importance to any country living in a state of war. The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan have covered a long road of development in the last few years, their material and technical infrastructure has been comprehensively modernized and fighting capability enhanced. Our country has built one of the well organized armies in the world. The army’s material and technical base is being improved and its professionalism increased on a permanent basis. Great achievements have been made in army provision in the last several years. Azerbaijan is allocating huge resources on the military. The military constitutes the biggest expense item of the state budget. The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan have been equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry in recent years. These armored vehicles, modern tanks, artillery installations and other hardware are capable of annihilating any enemy target. As the head of state has repeatedly said, the military spending will further dominate our state budget.
Azerbaijan’s defense industry has also experienced considerable development in the past years. Great work is being carried out to expand local production in the future. Our country already possesses a powerful military industry. Azerbaijan’s defense industry products are on display at world exhibitions and the country’s export capacity is increased yearly.
Our country imports modern military hardware, develops and expands the military industry.
After the review of the hardware, weaponry and ammunition of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, a new weapons system exercise began and the joint large-scale operational and tactical exercises were held. The exercises involved a total of 4,000 people, 80 tanks, nearly 100 armored vehicles, almost 80 artillery systems, 10 fighter jets, nearly 20 military and transport helicopters.
The exercises focused on issues related to the planning and organization of joint activities of the Armed Forces and other armed formations with the aim of defending the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan and defeating the aggressor, as well as the protection and defense of the state border, defeat of major forces of the aggressor by launching a counteroffensive. The exercise saw a range of goals set and fully achieved.
One of the primary goals of the exercises was the planning of a joint military deployment of formations, units and sub-units of the Ministry of Defense, Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Border Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan as part of the defense of the territory, different levels of coordination between the headquarters in organizing mutual communication. The exercises also focused on the protection of the state border, defense of the territory and coordinated activities of the Armed Forces and other armed units in the course of a counteroffensive operation, synchronization of the military activities of the units, detachments and sub-units. Special attention was paid to coordinated management of troops during joint activities of the Armed Force and other armed units, and the training of administrative activity involving information exchange.
The main stage of the exercises included practical control over air strikes and artillery system firing, landing of airborne forces, deployment of different types of troops and special troops in offensive, tactical activities of the formations, units and sub-units and weapon systems exercises, and communication between formations and units of different forces.
All the goals were achieved and the entire military personnel demonstrated high combat readiness during the joint large-scale operational and tactical exercises of the formations and units of the Ministry of Defense, Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Border Service on the occasion of the 96th anniversary of the establishment of the Armed Forces.
President and Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev then addressed servicemen with a speech.