Azernews.Az

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Azerbaijani armed forces started its next large-scale military exercises under the relevant order from the country's leadership.

Following recent drills involving the tank brigades and air force units, the armed forces teamed up for extensive operative and tactical training on a desert field, according to the Defense Ministry.

Tank and field artillery units, various armored vehicles and equipment, as well as the armed forces medical units have been involved in an ongoing large-scale training.

Visiting the exercise site, Defense Minister, Zakir Hasanov viewed the military units and equipment, checked the combat readiness of the personnel.

Furthermore, Colonel General Hasanov viewed various training points in the polygon to instruct the personnel on general preparations and on the use of weapons throughout the exercises.

Hasanov said the armed forces' periodical military drills are conducted under the tasks assigned by Supreme Commander in Chief, Ilham Aliyev to improve the country's combat readiness, its sustainable capability and force structure of its armed forces.

As a result of the direct attention and care of the Supreme Commander, the armed forces achieved numerous successes in a short-term, reaching the highest level of combat and moral readiness, said Hasanov.

Earlier in February, the Azerbaijani forces held one of the largest operational and tactical exercises in its history involving 15,000 personnel, 300 armored vehicles, over 200 means of missile and artillery troops and 20 aircrafts of the air forces, air defense units and sophisticated anti-aircraft missile complexes.

Azerbaijan is the second - behind the United Kingdom, country in Europe in terms of armament after it increased its arms imports by 249 percent over the past ten years, SIPRI, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reported.

Standing strong against Armenia's unceasing operations along the line of contact, formulating the necessary armament policy by adhering to international requirements comes as a significant move for the Azerbaijani leadership.

As the country is suffering from the occupation of its internationally recognized lands, Azerbaijan's strong military skills should not be considered as an aggressive stance but rather the expression of Baku's desire to protect its people and land.

Azerbaijan's military strengthening goes in line with the country's legal right of liberating its occupied lands by means of war should it be necessary.

Azerbaijan's internationally recognized Nagorno-Karabakh territory has become a conflict zone following Armenia's aggression in the early 1990s. As a result of Armenia's armed invasion, 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory fell under Armenia's occupation. Nonetheless, the OSCE has attempted to foster a peaceful resolution to this conflict amid Armenia's persistent derailment.

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