Azerbaijan unveils the list of military equipment and weapons bought from Israel 0804121

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Defense News - Azerbaijan

 
 
Sunday, April 8, 2012, 09:31 AM
 
Azerbaijan unveils the list of military equipment and weapons bought from Israel.

Azerbaijan has recently purchased military equipment from Israel for an amount of $1.6 billion. Details of this purchase were never mentioned, but now the veil of secrecy is being lifted. Among the items ordered were Gabriel anti-ship missiles. These are 522 kg weapons with a range of 36 kilometers. Azerbaijan will use these to protect its Caspian Sea coast from the growing number of Iranian warships being introduced in the area.

     
Azerbaijan has recently purchased military equipment from Israel for an amount of $1.6 billion. Details of this purchase were never mentioned, but now the veil of secrecy is being lifted. Among the items ordered were Gabriel anti-ship missiles. These are 522 kg weapons with a range of 36 kilometers. Azerbaijan will use these to protect its Caspian Sea coast from the growing number of Iranian warships being introduced in the area.
Gabriel missiles, created by Israel Aircraft Industries, are a range of anti-ship missiles that use the technique of sea-skimming.
     

Also obtained were five Heron and five Searcher UAVs. The Israeli Heron TP is a 4.6 ton aircraft that can operate at 14.5 kilometers. The Heron TP has a one ton payload, enabling it to carry sensors that can give a detailed view of what's on the ground, even from that high up.

The endurance of 36 hours makes the Heron TP a competitor for the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper. The Searcher 2 is a half-ton aircraft with an endurance of 20 hours, max altitude of 7,500 meters and can operate up to 300 kilometers from the operator. It can carry a 120 kg payload.

     
Also obtained were five Heron and five Searcher UAVs. The Israeli Heron TP is a 4.6 ton aircraft that can operate at 14.5 kilometers. The Heron TP has a one ton payload, enabling it to carry sensors that can give a detailed view of what's on the ground, even from that high up.
The IAI Heron TP is a Medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by the Malat (UAV) division of Israel Aerospace Industries.
     
For air defense, there are Barak-8 systems, including 75 missiles. The Barak missiles cost about $1.6 million each, weigh 98 kg with 21.8 kg warhead and have a range of ten kilometers. The missiles are mounted in an eight cell container (which requires little maintenance) and are launched straight up.

The radar system provides 360 degree coverage and the missiles can take down an incoming anti-ship or cruise missile as close as 500 meters away. Each Barak system (missile container, radar, computers and installation) costs about $24 million. The missile is also effective against aircraft and can be mounted on ships or trucks.
     
For air defense, there are Barak-8 systems, including 75 missiles. The Barak missiles cost about $1.6 million each, weigh 98 kg with 21.8 kg warhead and have a range of ten kilometers. The missiles are mounted in an eight cell container (which requires little maintenance) and are launched straight up.
Barak 8 is an Israeli and Indian surface-to-air missile (SAM), designed to defend against aircraft, anti-ship missiles, and UAVs.
     

Also part of the deal is a Green Pine radar system, which Israel uses for its missile defense system. Green Pine can detect incoming ballistic missiles up to 500 kilometers away, but can also spot approaching warplanes.

Azerbaijan has told Iran that all these weapons were not intended for making war on Iran, but for settling a territorial dispute with neighboring Armenia. Two years ago all this Iranian hostility, and disputes with neighboring Armenia, led oil rich Azerbaijan to increase its defense budget 87 percent to $3.1 billion. Nearly half the budget was spent to modernize the armed forces. A lot of the cash was quietly spent on improved counter-terrorism capabilities. Israel was providing advisors and special equipment to detect and deal with growing Iranian sponsored Islamic terrorism in Azerbaijan.

     
Also part of the deal is a Green Pine radar system, which Israel uses for its missile defense system. Green Pine can detect incoming ballistic missiles up to 500 kilometers away, but can also spot approaching warplanes.
The EL/M-2080 Green Pine is an Israeli ground-based missile-defense radar produced by Elta, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries