Azerbaijan to produce hand-held grenade launchers

27 February 2017 17:34 (UTC+04:00)

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By Rashid Shirinov

Pakistan’s Global Industrial & Defense Solutions (GIDS) company is interested in cooperating with Azerbaijan in equipping ground, naval and internal forces.

GIDS Head, retired Major General Tariq Javed said that the company already carries out arm supplies to the country’ internal forces.

“We supply helmets, smoke bombs for internal forces. As for the naval and ground forces, we already have contracts and we are awaiting confirmation from the leadership of both countries,” Javed told Report.

He also noted the company’s interest in transferring to Azerbaijan the technologies for production of hand-held grenade launchers.

“A certain agreement on this issue exists with the Defense Industry Ministry of Azerbaijan,” Javed said.

Back in November 2016, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry and Pakistan’s Joint Staff Headquarters signed a plan of bilateral military cooperation in Islamabad. The sides agreed to continue cooperation in carrying out joint military exercises and discussed detailed cooperation in defense sector and joint military production.

Azerbaijan, which is in war with neighboring Armenia over the latter's territorial claims, keeps in focus the armament. The country, which enjoys the most modern army in the Caucasus, leaves behind many CIS countries to take its place among the first 70 strongest militaries of the world, according to the U.S.-based Global Firepower survey center.

Along with purchase of armament, Azerbaijan increases the volume of local defense production every year. The number of local defense products increased by 1.8 times during 2015-2016. Some 10 countries purchase the production of twenty-eight military factories that currently operate within the Defense Industry Ministry of Azerbaijan.

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