President Aliyev reviews conditions at Air Force’s military town - UPDATE
By Nigar Orujova
A modern, well-equipped, strong army continues to be a priority for Azerbaijan, a country that has been involved in a military conflict over its own lands for more than two decades.
Azerbaijan’s President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev reviewed the conditions at a military town for a unit of the Defense Ministry’s Air Force on November 11.
Minister of Defense Zakir Hasanov briefed the head of state during his visit.
A canteen, hostel, hangars, training rooms, and a medical center were built in the military town. Landscaping work was carried out on a large scale, and recreation rooms for soldiers and officers were created. The entire town is well protected.
President Aliyev was also briefed on the technological park, and he viewed a missile depot belonging to the military unit. The head of state reviewed the S-300 PMU-2 Favorit anti-aircraft missile brigade and reviewed the practical and combat duty activities of the personnel.
He also looked at the remains of Armenia’s X-55 drone, which was shot down by Azerbaijani servicemen on the Aghdam part of the frontline on September15.
The Supreme Commander-in-Chief was further briefed on the military equipment used by the Air Force. The combat control center here utilizes state-of-the-art military equipment.
The president also familiarized himself with the training complex, which is designed to evaluate the protocols of combat duty and the soldiers' skill in operating the military equipment.
President Aliyev viewed the missile launch facilities as well.
On the same day, the Armed Forces staged tactical flight drills involving combat helicopters, under the direct supervision of Zakir Hasanov.
During the exercises, pilots were tasked with detecting various facilities belonging to a conditional enemy and their moving and stationary armored vehicles.
The drills also involved an inspection of the state of preparedness of ground services to deploy aviation equipment on supplementary and currently operational airfields.
Afterward, drills proceeded with the destruction of a variety of targets using guided missiles. All the tasks assigned by the defense minister were completed successfully.
Azerbaijan holds regular military drills to check the training level and fighting capability of its army.
In October, the Air Force conducted combat firing practice with Buk-MB anti-aircraft missile battalion complexes, which are included in the arsenal of air defense troops.
The Army held the major command and staff military exercises in September. That same month, the defense minister inspected the airfield, where the Turkish and Azerbaijani Air Forces' assets participated in the TurAz Qartali 2015 joint tactical exercises.
Today, the Azerbaijani army is one of the strongest and most disciplined in the world and the leading, most modern army in the Caucasus.
The armed forces of Azerbaijan consist of the Air Force, Air Defense Forces, the Navy, and the Land Forces. It is equipped with new, high-quality weapons made by domestic and foreign military industrial systems.
The constant reinforcement of the army is under special focus in Azerbaijan, as 20 percent of its territory has been under Armenian occupation for more than 20 years.