Azerbaijan
Until 1980, the skies over Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, the Stavropol Territory and the Astrakhan Region were defended by parts of the Baku Air Defense District. This operational formation of the air defense forces of the USSR, performing the tasks of the air defense of the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia, was formed in 1942 with the aim of protecting strategic oil fields, industrial centers and transport hubs. In 1980, as part of the reform of the USSR Air Defense Forces, the Baku Air Defense District was transformed into the Air Defense of the Transcaucasian Military District. At the same time, units and subdivisions of the country's Air Defense Forces were reassigned to the command of the Transcaucasian Military District and the 34th Air Army (34th VA). Subsequently, this decision was recognized as erroneous, since the management of air defense throughout the country turned out to be largely decentralized and the air defense forces became overly dependent on the command of the Air Force. To correct this situation in 1986, the 19th separate Red Banner Air Defense Army (19th OKA Air Defense) was created with headquarters in Tbilisi.
Area of responsibility of the 19th OKA Air Defense
In the area of responsibility of the 19th OKA Air Defense were: Stavropol Territory, Astrakhan, Volgograd and Rostov Regions, Georgia, Azerbaijan and part of Turkmenistan. The army had three corps (12th, 14th and 15th) and two air defense divisions. In connection with the collapse of the USSR, the 19th Separate Air Defense Army was disbanded in October 1992, some of the weapons not exported to Russia, and the infrastructure were transferred to the Armed Forces of the Transcaucasian republics.
Until 1988, the 15th Air Defense Corps was located on the territory of Azerbaijan, in 1990 it was transformed into the 97th Air Defense Division. The division consisted of: the 82nd IAP at the Nasosnaya airfield on the MiG-25PDS, 128 air defense brigades - the headquarters in the village of Zira, 129 air defense brigades - the headquarters in the village of Sangachaly, 190 air defense brigades - the headquarters in the city of Mingachevir and two radio engineering brigades in Ayat and Mingachevir. The anti-aircraft missile forces were armed with medium-range air defense systems of the S-75M2 / M3 modifications, the low-altitude S-125M / M1, and the long-range S-200VM. Control of the air situation, the issuance of target designation of air defense systems and the guidance of air defense interceptors were carried out on the basis of information received from the radar: P-12, P-14, P-15, P-18, P-19, P-35, P-37, P- 80, 22Zh6 and radio altimeters: PRV-9, PRV-11, PRV-13, PRV-16. As can be seen from the list of equipment and weapons available in Azerbaijan, the most modern anti-aircraft systems and radars were not sent here. Most of this technique was produced in the mid 60s and early 80s.
As a result of the division of the property of the Soviet Army, Azerbaijan got the bulk of the equipment and weapons of the 97th Air Defense Division, including more than 30 MiG-25PD / PDS interceptors and 5 MiG-21 light fighters from the 34th Air Force. This was many times greater than the number of air defense weapons that Georgia received. In addition, from the air defense of the Ground Forces of the 4th Combined Arms Army, the Krug-M1, Strela-10, Osa-AK / AKM, Strela-2M, Strela-3, Igla-1 "and" Igla ", ZSU ZSU-23-4" Shilka ", 57-mm anti-aircraft guns S-60 and 23-mm ZU-23.
On the territory of Azerbaijan, after gaining independence, the radar station of the missile attack warning system (SPRN) of the "Daryal" type remained. Azerbaijan, whose property this station became, did not need it, but the Daryal radar station was vitally necessary for Russia, which had gaps in its early warning system after the collapse of the Soviet Union. After the conclusion of the intergovernmental agreement, Russia continued to use it on a lease basis. The Gabala radar station had the status of an information and analytical center, the activities of which could not be directed (directly or indirectly) against the sovereignty and security interests of Azerbaijan. The air defense of the early warning radar station was provided by the air defense forces of Azerbaijan, which the Russian side pledged to help in modernization. Russia paid Azerbaijan $ 7 million annually for the lease of the station. Under the terms of the agreement, the number of Russian specialists at the station could not exceed 1,500. In addition to Russian personnel, citizens of Azerbaijan worked at the facility. In 2012, the lease term expired, and due to the fact that the parties did not agree on the cost of the lease (Baku demanded to increase it to $ 300 million per year), Russia stopped the operation of the radar, by that time to replace the Daryal station in Gabala on the territory RF was built a modern radar "Voronezh". In 2013, the equipment was partially dismantled and taken to Russia, Russian military personnel left the garrison, and the facility was handed over to Azerbaijan.
Even before the official gaining of independence by Azerbaijan and Armenia, an interethnic conflict flared up between these republics. Later, during the war in Nagorno-Karabakh, the sides actively used combat aircraft and air defense systems. However, despite Azerbaijan's superiority in arms, Armenia managed to defend the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh, and this smoldering, periodically escalating armed conflict is still a sore point in relations between the two Transcaucasian republics. In this regard, Azerbaijan and Armenia spend a lot of money on improving their own air force and air defense.
Layout of air defense missile systems and radar stations in Azerbaijan as of 2011.
In Azerbaijan, the air defense forces are organizationally part of the Air Force. Azerbaijan's anti-aircraft missile forces are the most numerous and well-equipped among the Transcaucasian and Central Asian republics of the former USSR. In the 21st century, the leadership of Azerbaijan allocated very serious money by the standards of the republic to improve the air defense and air force.
In 1998, eight interceptors of the same type were purchased in Kazakhstan to replace the exhausted MiG-25. At the moment, 10 MiG-25PDS and 6 MiG-25PDs available in Azerbaijan are not in flight condition. According to information available in the media, the repair and modernization of these aircraft with the help of Ukrainian specialists was planned for 2014. However, it is not known whether these plans have been implemented.
Since the MiG-25 interceptors in many ways no longer met modern requirements and were too expensive to operate, in 2006-2007, 12 MiG-29 and 2 MiG-29UB fighters were purchased from the Air Force in Ukraine from the Air Force. In 2009-2011, Ukraine additionally supplied 2 combat training MiG-29UB. Before that, the aircraft underwent refurbishment and "minor modernization", which boiled down to the installation of modern communication and navigation equipment. The planned modernization of the airborne radar with an increase of about 20% in the detection range did not take place. They could not create their own radar for the fighter in Ukraine. I must say that this contract gave the Ukrainian aircraft repair enterprises the opportunity to test "in practice" theoretical developments under the "minor modernization" program for MiGs, which was later useful in the course of repairs and modernization of their own fighters.
Azerbaijani MiG-29 and Turkish F-16 during the Azerbaijani-Turkish exercises Turaz Şahini 2016.
However, due to the fact that the former Ukrainian MiG-29 fighters were built in the USSR and their life cycle is close to completion, Azerbaijan is actively looking for a replacement. For this role, the Pakistani-Chinese light fighter JF-17 Thunder has repeatedly been predicted. This aircraft was proposed at the end of 2007, when Pakistan just adopted it. Since then, the parties have repeatedly discussed the issue of supply, but have not come to concrete results. The advantages of the JF-17 are its low cost and the ability to use Soviet and Russian-made aviation ammunition stocks accumulated in Azerbaijan. But, according to a number of leading aviation experts, this fighter does not fully meet modern requirements and is still "raw". In addition to light JF-17s, Azerbaijan was actively probing the ground regarding the acquisition of light Swedish Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighters and multifunctional heavy Su-30MK. Possible deliveries of "Gripen" are impeded by the unresolved territorial dispute with Armenia, the engine, avionics and weapons of American production used on the Swedish fighter jet. Russian fighters have much greater capabilities than the JF-17 and Saab JAS 39, but their sale will give Azerbaijan a serious superiority over Armenia, which is a strategic ally of Russia, and may aggravate the situation in the region in the future.
The affected areas of the air defense missile system as of 2011, where the dark red ones are the C-75, the turquoise ones are the C-125, the dull green ones are the "Circle", and the purple ones are the C-200.
The layout of air defense systems shows that the main part of the air defense missile system and radar station are located in the central part of Azerbaijan and around Baku. Air defense systems built in the USSR are still in operation in Azerbaijan, some of them have been modernized in order to extend the resource and increase the combat characteristics. First of all, this concerns the low-altitude C-125M / M1, upgraded by the Belarusian NPO Tetrahedr to the level of C-125-TM "Pechora-2T" in 2009-2014. At the same time, in addition to extending the resource of the complex, its noise immunity was increased and the ability to combat subtle targets in the radar range was increased. At positions in Azerbaijan, 9 S-125 air defense missiles are on alert.
Most reference materials regarding the air defense system of Azerbaijan indicate that the S-75 air defense system has been removed from service. Until 2012, at least four S-75M3 missile launchers were in positions in this country, mainly in the Yevlakh region, around the city of Mingachevir. However, satellite images from the first half of 2016 show that one S-75 missile launcher with missiles on launchers is still deployed in the vicinity of Baku.
Google earth snapshot: the position of the C-75 air defense system in the vicinity of Baku
Another anti-aircraft system that has survived in the Transcaucasian republic since Soviet times is the S-200VM long-range air defense system. After the division of the property of the 97th Air Defense Division, Azerbaijan got four C-200VM divisions. Two C-200VM positions with V-880 (5V28) missiles are still deployed east of Baku, one kilometer from the coast of the Caspian Sea.
Google earth snapshot: the position of the C-200VM air defense system in the vicinity of Baku
In the picture you can see that the missiles are located only on 4 of the 12 available "guns". Most likely, this is due to the development of the resource of the rockets and the lack of reserves of conditional fuel and oxidizer. However, the missiles of the Azerbaijani S-200VM air defense system traditionally play an important ceremonial role, they look very impressive at military parades. But recently, they have been pushed aside by the towed launchers of the S-300PMU2 Favorit anti-aircraft missile system. They were first demonstrated to the general public on June 26, 2011 at a parade in Baku. It is worth recalling that the S-300PMU2 Favorit is an export modification of the Russian S-300PM2 air defense system. It uses a towed launcher with four transport and launch containers (TPK).
Air defense system S-300PMU2 at the parade in Baku on June 26, 2011
These air defense systems were originally intended for Iran, but in connection with the decree of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who succumbed to pressure from the West and Israel, the contract with Iran was canceled. However, in order not to let down the manufacturer of the S-300P systems, the Almaz-Antey air defense concern, it was decided to sell the already built air defense systems to Azerbaijan. Deliveries of the first S-300PMU2 elements began in July 2010 and ended in 2012. In total, Azerbaijan's air defense forces received three C-300PMU-2 divisions, 8 launchers in each division, as well as 200 48N6E2 anti-aircraft guided missiles. Prior to the completion of the deliveries, Azerbaijani calculations underwent theoretical and practical training at Russian air defense training centers.
Another anti-aircraft system, until recently demonstrated at military parades, was the mobile medium-range air defense system "Krug". During the division of the Soviet legacy, Azerbaijan received the latest modernized version of the 2K11M1 "Circle-M1", which was put into service in 1974. In 2012, in the Agjabadi region of Azerbaijan, there were three anti-aircraft batteries in positions: a P-40 air target detection radar, a 1S32 missile guidance station and three 2P24 SPUs. In addition to being on alert and participating in parades, the Azerbaijani "Kroogi" regularly carried out practical shooting.
However, later satellite images show that at present the positions of the air defense missile systems are empty, and the equipment and missiles on transport-loading vehicles (TZM) have been moved to storage bases. Based on the experience of operating the Krug air defense system in the Russian armed forces, it can be assumed that the resource of the hardware of the Azerbaijani complexes is fully exhausted, and numerous kerosene leaks were observed on anti-aircraft missiles due to cracking of rubber tanks, which made combat duty extremely dangerous in terms of fire.
At the beginning of December 2014, the Il-76 military transport vehicles delivered 8 Tor-M2E air defense missile systems and other auxiliary equipment to Azerbaijan. SAM family "Tor" are designed to cover important administrative, economic and military facilities, the first echelons of ground formations from the most modern means of air attack. This air defense system is capable of operating both in manual mode, with the participation of operators, and in fully automatic mode. At the same time, the Tor system itself controls the airspace in a given area and independently knocks down all air targets unidentified by the state recognition system.
Shortly before the delivery of the "Torov" to Azerbaijan, a division of the 9K317 Buk-M1-2 air defense missile system departed. In addition to Russia, purchases of anti-aircraft systems are underway in other countries. So, in 2012, Azerbaijan received one Buk-MB battalion from the armed forces of Belarus. Before the start of deliveries to Azerbaijan, the Belarusian Buks underwent modernization and were modified to use the new 9M317 missiles. The standard 9S18M1 Buk-M1 air defense radar has been replaced with a mobile three-coordinate 80K6M all-round radar on a wheeled chassis. According to Andrey Permyakov, a leading engineer of the Belarusian AGAT control system, the modernization of the Buk-MB air defense missile system has improved the performance characteristics of the complex, operational and ergonomic characteristics, increased reliability, noise immunity and survivability, as well as provided a high level of training for combat crews. In addition, after the overhaul of the air defense system, its service life is extended by 15 years.
Recently it became known about the supply of two batteries of mobile air defense systems of the near zone T38 "Stilet" to Azerbaijan. The short-range air defense missile system T38 Stilet was created at the Belarusian enterprise Tetraedr on the basis of the Osa air defense missile system. The T382 missiles for it were developed at the Kiev design bureau "Luch". The control systems of the complex are made on a new element base, the combat vehicle, in addition to the radar, is equipped with an electronic optical detection system. In comparison with the Osa-AKM air defense missile system, the range of destruction of air targets is doubled and amounts to 20 km. SAM T38 "Stilet" is located on the MZKT-69222T off-road wheeled chassis. Apparently, the T38 Stilet air defense system made a favorable impression on the Azerbaijani military. As Igor Novik, the head of the department of the Tetraedr company, said in an interview with reporters, “now a larger order is being carried out”. The Azerbaijani military is betting on modern means of fighting aviation, but at the same time, the Soviet-made Osa-AKM and Strela-10 mobile complexes are in service with the air defense units of the Ground Forces. Some of the Osa-AKM complexes were modernized in Belarus to the level of 9K33-1T Osa-1T. In order to update outdated and expired storage times of MANPADS in Russia, 300 Igla-S MANPADS with 1,500 missile ammunition have been purchased.
In 2011, almost simultaneously with the Russian S-300PMU2 air defense systems, one Israeli-made Barak-8 medium-range air defense system was delivered to Azerbaijan. Initially, this complex was created in 1987 to protect ships from aviation and anti-ship missiles, later a land version was developed.
This is a rather expensive weapon, the cost of one battery of the Barak-8 air defense system exceeds $ 20 million, the anti-aircraft missile system has a cost of about $ 1.6 million per unit. The complex is capable of fighting both aerodynamic and ballistic targets at ranges up to 70-80 km. A solid-propellant two-stage missile defense system for the Barak-8 complex with a length of 4.5 m is equipped with an active radar seeker. The missile is launched using a vertical launcher and is capable of intercepting a target in difficult weather conditions at any time of the day. After launch, the missile receives target designation from the guidance radar. On approaching the target, the missile defense system starts the second engine and activates the radar seeker. SAM "Barak-8" provides information transfer to the missile in flight, and can redirect it to another target, which increases the flexibility of use and reduces the consumption of missiles. The ELM-2248 multipurpose radar for detection, tracking and guidance is also capable, in addition to controlling the Barak-8 air defense system, to coordinate the actions of other air defense units.
In 2012, Azerbaijan purchased weapons from Israel in the amount of $ 1.6 billion. In addition to small arms, armored vehicles, artillery, RPGs, ATGMs and UAVs, the SPYDER SR short-range air defense system was purchased. The complex includes: a reconnaissance and control point (PRU), an SPU with four TPK and TPM. The elements of the air defense missile system are mounted on a three-axle all-wheel drive cargo chassis. The anti-aircraft battery can include up to six SPU. The issuance of target designation over the radio channel is carried out by the three-coordinate pulse-Doppler radar with a circular view ELM 2106NG. As part of the complex, SAMs with TGS Python 5 are used, which was originally developed as a close air combat missile. In addition to the Python 5 SAM, Derby SAM with an active radar seeker can be used. The range of destruction of air targets is 15-20 km.
In 2013, a contract was signed between Azerbaijan and Israel for the supply of the Iron Dome anti-missile system. According to Rafael, at the beginning of October 2016, the missile defense system was ready for delivery to Azerbaijan. The Iron Dome tactical missile defense system is designed to protect against unguided missiles with a range of 4 to 70 kilometers. One battery can protect an area of 150 square kilometers.
The battery includes: a multipurpose radar ELM-2084, designed to accurately identify the target and determine the trajectory of its flight, a fire control center, three launchers with 20 Tamir interceptor missiles. The cost of one battery exceeds $ 50 million, the cost of launching one anti-missile in 2012 was $ 20 thousand.
Until now, Soviet-made radar stations are used in Azerbaijan: P-14, P-18, P-19, P-37, 22Zh6. To replace the radars produced in the 60s and 70s, in the early 2000s, supplies of 36D6-M three-coordinate airspace surveillance radars were carried out. Detection range 36D6-M - up to 360 km. To transport the radar, the KrAZ-6322 or KrAZ-6446 tractors are used, the station can be deployed or collapsed within half an hour. The construction of this type of radar was carried out in Ukraine at the State Enterprise "Research and Production Complex" Iskra "in Zaporozhye. As of the early 2000s, station 36D6-M was one of the best in its class in terms of cost-effectiveness. It can be used in modern automated air defense systems for detecting low-flying air targets covered with active and passive interference, for air traffic control of military and civil aviation. If necessary, the 36D6-M operates in the mode of an autonomous control center. Currently, there are three 36D6-M radars operating in Azerbaijan.
In 2007, NPK Iskra began construction of a new mobile three-coordinate circular-view radar with a phased antenna array 80K6. In 2012, Azerbaijan, along with the purchase of the upgraded Buk-MB air defense missile systems in Belarus, purchased several upgraded 80K6M radars in Ukraine.
Radar 80K6M
A mobile three-coordinate radar station with an all-round view of the 80K6M radar was demonstrated on June 26, 2013 at a military parade in Baku. The deployment-folding time of the 80K6M radar in comparison with the base model has been reduced by 5 times and is 6 minutes. The 80K6M radar has a wider field of view - up to 55 degrees, which makes it possible to detect ballistic targets. Antenna post, hardware and calculation are placed on one transport unit, made on a cross-country chassis MZKT "Volat". According to representatives of NPK Iskra, in terms of basic tactical and technical capabilities, the 80K6M radar can compete with the AN / TPS 78 station made in the USA and the GM400 Thales Raytheon Systems station made in France. However, in the conditions of a decline in industrial production in Ukraine and the severance of industrial and economic ties with Russian subcontractors, doubts arise about the possibility of mass production of such complex products.
Radar ELM-2106NG
In addition to the Ukrainian radars 36D6-M and 80K6M, Azerbaijan has two modern three-coordinate stations of Israeli production ELM-2288 AD-STAR and ELM-2106NG. According to Israeli data, radars have a dual purpose, in addition to controlling air defense systems and fighters, they can be used for air traffic control. The ELM-2288 AD-STAR radar is capable of monitoring the airspace at a distance of up to 480 km, the ELM-2106NG station is designed to detect low-flying aircraft, helicopters and UAVs at a distance of up to 90 km, the number of simultaneously tracked targets is 60.
Google earth snapshot: fixed radar station 12 km west of Lerik
Azerbaijan conducts active military cooperation with the United States in collecting intelligence information in Iran and Russia. In 2008, 1 km from the Iranian border in the Lerik region of Azerbaijan, two stationary radars, modernized with the help of the United States, began to operate. Russian means of electronic intelligence regularly record the work of powerful stationary radars on the Russian-Azerbaijani border and in the Caspian Sea. These stations are operated jointly in the interests of Azerbaijan and the United States.
The weak side of the Azerbaijani Air Force is the relatively small number of the fighter fleet and the small residual life of the MiG-29. The need to retain fighters in the air defense forces is due to their versatility and the ability to visually identify air targets in the event of an unintentional border violation. This allows you to prevent unwanted incidents associated with unintentional damage to civil aircraft and all sorts of accidents. Whereas long-range air defense systems do not have this capability. In the next few years, in order to preserve the aviation component of the air defense forces, it is necessary to purchase 10-12 modern fighters. But on the whole, Azerbaijan's air defense system is fully consistent with modern requirements and, with proper use, is quite capable of covering up its troops, important administrative and industrial facilities, inflicting unacceptable losses on the combat aviation of Armenia, Georgia or Iran. In the event of a hypothetical conflict, the Azerbaijani air defense will not be able to contain Russian military aviation for a long time, but a lot depends on the quality of planning an air operation, on how widely modern electronic warfare systems and high-precision aviation weapons are used to combat radar and air defense systems. It is worth remembering that the much weaker Georgian air defense system in 2008 managed to present a number of unpleasant surprises to our military pilots.
