Azerbaijani Armed Forces rank 53rd in world
By Rashid Shirinov
The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan continue to strengthen position in the ranking of countries in terms of their military power. The country ranked the 53rd out of 136 countries in the 2018 Military Strength Ranking, compiled by a U.S.-based Global Firepower survey center.
The ranking notes that the military strength of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces is 374,500 people, while 3,750,000 of the population are fit for service.
The country’s Armed Forces include 520 combat tanks, 1,590 armored fighting vehicles, 359 artillery mounts and 191 rocket launchers, the ranking says. It also shows that Azerbaijan’s Air Force has 18 fighter aircraft, 29 attack, 83 transport and 19 trainer aircraft, as well as 93 helicopters at its disposal.
Thus, Azerbaijan left behind many CIS countries, such as Georgia, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, as well as a number of other states such as Finland, Austria, Portugal, Hungary, Belgium, Croatia, etc.
The ranking is based on more than 55 factors, which help determine a country’s final PowerIndex score. It does not rely solely on the total number of weapons available to a country but rather focuses on weapon diversity to provide a better balance of firepower available. Factors also include logistical flexibility, natural resources, local industry, geographical factors, etc.
The U.S., Russia and China head the ranking, followed by India, France, United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Turkey, and Germany as the Top 10 nations having the strongest armed forces.
The Azerbaijani Army, which today is considered the most modern army in the Caucasus, consists of Air Force and Air Defense Forces, the Navy, and the Land Forces. Today, Azerbaijani Army, equipped with modern military machinery, is one of the most powerful, highly disciplined armies in the world and the leading army in the region.
The skills and combat readiness of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are growing year by year, as the country’s Armed Forces regularly conduct military exercises. The army building process in Azerbaijan is progressing as well.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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