Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense Industry is expected to complete manufacturing and hand over to the country’s armed forces 60 small Orbiter unmanned aerial vehicles and Aerostar tactical UAVs by the end of 2011, a local report says.

Azerbaijan unveiled its new drones at a military parade in June amid continuing tensions over Nagorno Karabakh, which Armenian separatists backed by Yerevan invaded in the 1990s war, along with seven surrounding regions.

Azerbaijani armed forces will also acquire unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAV) in the next few years, military sources told APA news agency. The UCAVs, capable of destroying enemy targets, will be produced at local facilities.

Azerbaijan is known to have UAVs, most of them reportedly purchased from Israel. A joint venture set up by the Azerbaijani government and Israel Aerospace Industries began assembling Israeli-designed drones in Azerbaijan in March.

Armenia officially announced in June that it was also manufacturing UAVs. Colonel Armen Mkrtchian, deputy commander of the Armenian Air Force, said they were capable of "carrying out objectives deep inside enemy territory."

The drones apparently designed by Armenian engineers are expected to be put on display during a military parade in Yerevan scheduled for Wednesday, Radio Liberty reported.