Armenia Announces Big Military Spending Increase: EurasiaNet

• 10.18.2017, 18:27
•  Region,  Armenia,  NKR

Armenia genuinely enjoys some recognizable advantages over Azerbaijan, such as its favorable geographic position in and around the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, Eurasianet.org reports.

Representing the difference between the defense expenditures of both countries, the analytical platform reminds that Armenian troops not only control Karabakh itself, but broad swaths of Azerbaijani “buffer” territories, offering significant strategic depth protecting Karabakh as well as Armenia itself.

"Although both sides have established expansive defensive fortifications along their line of contact, Azerbaijani military objectives depend on the ability to go on the offensive. In the event of a large-scale conflagration, a preservation of the status quo would likely count as a victory in Yerevan, whereas Baku could only be satisfied with significant territorial gains," EurasiaNet says.

"In its defensive posture, Armenia does not need to possess the same level of offensive capabilities being stockpiled by Azerbaijan, which has spent many millions of dollars on developing a full-spectrum, combined arms military capability. Still, Yerevan has significant capabilities of its own at its disposal, including an advanced S-300 air defense system (which Azerbaijan also fields), as well as the short-range Iskander-M missile system (which Azerbaijan notably does not)—the latter likely being much more useful for deterrence than in the event of open war."

"And although Russia sells advanced weapons to both sides—a practice seemingly at odds its treaty obligations to Armenia—Armenia benefits from favorable terms and rates. One common saying in the region is that by buying Russian arms at a premium, Azerbaijan indirectly subsidizes the Armenian military, which tends to buy the same weapons at cost," the article says.