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Azerbaijan sees rise in defense production

25 January 2017 14:41 (UTC+04:00)
Azerbaijan sees rise in defense production

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan, which domestically produces weapons, including sniper rifles, machine guns, armed drones, and armored vehicles, recorded an increased in the defense production in 2016.

Last year, some 86 percent of total products in the institutions of the Defense Industry Ministry accounted for military and special purpose, Minister Yavar Jamalov said at a meeting on January 24.

The volume of defense products increased by 1.8 times compared to 2015, while customers were supplied with UAVs, mortars, AK-74M, universal machine guns, sniper rifles, armored personnel carriers, such as "Matador" and "Marauder" automatic grenade launcher, sights for air defense systems, cartridges of various calibers, a grenade for portable anti-tank grenade launcher, training bombs and so forth.

Twenty-eight military factories are currently operating within the Defense Industry Ministry. Azerbaijan`s defense products are exported to more than 10 countries.

The minister further said that some 260 items of products were presented at the exhibition of defense products in Baku in 2016.

The ministry presented at the ADEX-2016 exhibition a high-explosive air bomb QFAB-100SAB, 14.5 mm-caliber NST sniper rifle, sniper machine gun Shimshek, mine protected armored vehicles Ildirim and Gasirgha, the latest advanced types of UAVs, new models of small arms, special reconnaissance patrol vehicle Gurza, fitted with antitank guided missiles, ammunition and their warheads, etc.

Within the frameworks of the exhibition, the Defense Industry Ministry and the Ministry of Defense signed a memorandum on the production and transfer of arms to the UAV-type national army Kamikaze "Blow."

Azerbaijan, which is in war with neighboring Armenia over the latter's territorial claims during more than 20 years, keeps in focus the armament. Azerbaijan leaves behind many CIS and regional countries to take its place among the first 70 strongest militaries of the world, according to the U.S.-based Global Firepower survey center.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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