Armenia: Iskander missiles impossible to be down by any Azerbaijani weapon – defense ministry spox

July 15, 2017 By administrator

Iskander missiles are impossible to be shot down by any Azerbaijani weapon, Armenian Defense Ministry’s spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said in an interview with Panorama.am, commenting on the recent statement by Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov, claiming that the Azerbaijani armed forces possess anti-missile weapons capable of shooting down Armenia’s Iskander missile systems.

“Zakir Hasanov stands out with his low level of knowledge, which is at lower level than the one of a platoon commander. He has shown it in multiple occasions. To put it mildly, it is impossible to shoot down Iskander missiles by any system of Azerbaijan. That country’s arsenal features Israeli Barak 8 missile system, which they have put on display. The claims also referred to the purchase of a weaker Iron Dome Weapon System. None of these systems is capable of downing the Iskander Missile,” the spokesman noted, adding that the U.S. Army officers having the most powerful missile defense systems like Standard, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot, do not confidently claim about downing Iskander missiles even after those weapons undergo multiple modifications.

“They (the U.S. military) openly point out the great danger and invulnerability of this weapon, however Zakir Hasanov has already overcome that weapon. On the other hand, there is nothing surprising when this is stated by a person with a very low level of professional knowledge and known for his empty talks,” Mr. Hovhannisyan added.

National Interest: Armenia bought the Iskander to restrain Baku’s aggression

May 5, 2017 By administrator

armenianIn an article published on The National Interest, Armenian political analyst Areg Galstyan suggests that the country has acquired Iskander missiles from Russia as a system for restraining Azerbaijan’s aggressive plans.

Written to address a number of misconceptions contained in a recently published feature on the Washington Post, the article clarifies that Nagorno Karabakh is the historical territory of the Armenian people, which was transferred to Soviet Azerbaijan, created by the Bolshevik government for political purposes.

“The Soviet Union was striving for territorial expansion against Iran; creating a republic with the name Azerbaijan, Moscow expressed its claims to the Iranian provinces of East and West Azerbaijan. Thus, transfer of the Armenian territories of Nagorno Karabakh and Nakhichevan to Azerbaijan was based on pragmatic geopolitical calculations by the Soviet leadership,” Galstyan says.

“If we carefully analyze Azerbaijan’s aggressive rhetoric, coupled with systematic violation of the ceasefire and diversionary actions against the civilian population, we can understand why Armenia purchased the Iskander system from Russia. Iskander systems are viewed by official Yerevan not as an element of intimidation, but as a system for restraining the aggressive plans of Baku.”

Azerbaijan on April 2, 2016 launched a large-scale military offensive against Karabakh, which claimed hundreds of lives on both sides. Top Armenian and Azerbaijani defense officials reached an agreement on the cessation of hostilities on April 5 in Moscow.

Four Iskander systems have been delivered to Armenia and displayed for the first time at the military parade marking the 25th anniversary of the country’s independence.

Armenia to use Iskander missiles “based on how situation develops”

February 22, 2017 By administrator

Armenia will make a decision to use Iskander missile systems depending on the development of the situation, defense minister Vigen Sargsyan said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

“I can explain the algorithm. The functions and parameters of the weapon allow to cause irreparable damage to the infrastructure of the country, against which it can be applied. Accordingly, the decision to use the system will be closely connected with the development of the situation,” he said.

The minister also said that the Iskanders delivered from Russia belong to the armed forces of Armenia, and that the latter’s officers, who have completed special training, operate them.

As reported earlier, four Iskander systems have been delivered to Armenia and displayed for the first time at the military parade marking the 25th anniversary of the country’s independence.

Ria.ru. Министр обороны Армении рассказал о купленных у России “Искандерах”

President: Iskander missile system’s deployment in Armenia was compulsory measure

November 17, 2016 By administrator

armenian-president-iskander The Russian Iskander missile system’s deployment in Armenia was a mandatory means aimed at ensuring stability in the region, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan told Sputnik Armenia.

“I believe this [deployment] was a compulsory measure so that the military situation in our region becomes somewhat balanced,” Sargsyan noted in an interview with renowned Russian journalist Dmitry Kiselyov. “It’s no secret that Azerbaijan regularly purchases advanced weapons over the last few years. We [i.e. Armenia] don’t have such opportunities as Azerbaijan has—I mean the financial opportunities. But all the while we are trying to balance the situation by finding its antidote. [And] I believe that the Iskander is just the antidote in this case.

“The arms race is certainly a bad situation, and we don’t want to take this step. But what to do if they threaten you every day with war and physical extermination? You need to take appropriate steps.”

The President also noted that Armenia and Russia have an agreement with respect to maintaining the balance of power in the region.

“I believe that, based on this, Russia agreed to our request, and provided us with this system that is magnificent, in the military sense,” added the President of Armenia.

Serzh Sargsyan also stated that Russia plays a key role in the region, including in the protection of peace and stability.

Is Azerbaijan Buying Israel’s Iron Dome will stand up to Armenia’s Iskanders

November 15, 2016 By administrator

iskander by Joshua Kucera,

Azerbaijani officials and several media sources have reported that Baku is working on a deal with Israel to buy the “Iron Dome” air defense system. The deal would be a blockbuster, as the legendary Iron Dome is a state-of-the-art system that has dramatically reduced the number of rocket attacks on Israel but has yet to be exported anywhere else.

In spite of the widespread reports, Azerbaijan is highly unlikely to actually purchase the Iron Dome, a very costly system that is technically incapable of meeting Azerbaijan’s needs. The prevalence of the reports, however, seems to speak to a continuing concern within Azerbaijan that its foe, Armenia, may have gained a step on it in the arms race.

Last month, Azerbaijani member of parliament Yedva Abramov reported that the Iron Dome was “ready for delivery” to Azerbaijan. Abramov said that the system would render ineffective the Iskander missiles that Armenia recently acquired from Russia. “This system will not allow the Iskander rockets to hit the ground,” Abramov said.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Baku in December, and Israeli media, citing unnamed sources, backed up Abramov’s assertion that an Iron Dome deal would be on the agenda. That news was picked up then by a number of relatively respectable outlets including the Times of Israel; the Russian think tank, Center for Analysis of the World Arms Trade; and the U.S. trade publication Defense Industry Daily.

So why is this unlikely? For one, the cost: a single battery (consisting of two launchers, a radar and control center) runs an estimated $50 million. Israel, a quarter of the area of Azerbaijan, has an estimated ten batteries. A single rocket for the system costs $100,000. This while oil prices have crashed and Azerbaijan is cutting its budget, including zeroing out the special line item it had used for weapons procurement. Azerbaijan might be able to afford this, but it would be an extravagance that would require it to make many other budget sacrifices.

Secondly, the Iron Dome is not capable of countering Armenia’s Iskanders. It has a maximum range of 70 kilometers, which makes it fine for the rockets, such as Katyushas, that Palestinian militants fire into Israel. But the Iskanders that Armenia has have a range of 300 kilometers. “This system is useless for Azerbaijan,” said Zaur Shiriyev, a Baku-based associate at the British think tank Chatham House, in an email interview with The Bug Pit.

Shiriyev attributes the spread of the Iron Dome rumors to concern about the Iskanders. “Especially after Armenia acquired the Iskander missiles, the media and public in Azerbaijan have been hungry for such news,” he said.

(It should also be noted that Abramov has a record of excitedly promoting Azerbaijan-Israel defense cooperation; earlier this month he claimed that Israel’s Mossad special forces foiled an Iranian attack on the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest in Baku.)

Azerbaijan is definitely looking at something to improve its air defense capabilities in light of the Iskander purchase, whether from France, Pakistan, or elsewhere. But the Iron Dome is pretty unlikely.

Source: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/81301

Armenia MOD: Russia has no technical capacity to block operation of our Iskander system

October 22, 2016 By administrator

Ballistic Missile “Iskander”

YEREVAN. – Whenever the Government of Armenia decides to use the Iskander-M tactical-operational missile systems, strikes will be made to the positions of the adversary.

Colonel Artavazd Yaghmuryan, head of the Missile Forces and Artillery Headquarters and Deputy Head of Department of the Armenian Armed Forces of the Ministry of Defense (MOD), stated the aforementioned at a press conference on Friday. He added that such a decision is the prerogative of Armenia alone, and not of any other country.

In Yaghmuryan’s words, before acquiring the Iskander long-range ballistic missile system, however, the MOD of Armenia had conducted a training of respective specialists.

Colonel Zorayr Gabrielyan, head of the Arms Operation and Panzer Division of the Armenian Armed Forces, in turn, noted that Russia, from which Armenia has purchased the Iskander-M system, has no technical capacity to block its operation.

“It’s our [i.e. Armenia’s] weapon,” noted Gabrielyan. “And we are the one to also plan its use.”

As for the Smerch heavy multiple rocket launchers, in Yaghmuryan’s words, the Armenian crew of this weapon had undergone training back in 1996.

“We have specialists for the use of this weapon,” he added.

Armenia world’s first country to receive Iskander missile system – Modest Kolerov

September 21, 2016 By administrator

Russian political scientist Modest Kolerov is impressed by the military parade in Yerevan on the occasion of the 25^th anniversary of Armenia’s independence.

Military balance between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been restored, he told Tert.am. The Iskander missile system at Armenia’s disposal rules out any aggression by Azerbaijan. This is the most important result, Mr Kolerov said.

Asked if he has information on whether the Armenian armed forces had the Iskander, Smerch, Buk, missile systems at their disposal before the four-day hostilities, Mr Kolerov said:

“The Iskander systems were available earlier, but they have now officially been supplied to Armenia. And they are now military equipment at Armenia’s disposal.”

Interestingly, Armenian political scientists have voiced an opinion that Russia will not allow Armenia to use the missile systems in question in case of war with Azerbaijan.

But Mr Kolerov believes it is a myth.

Asked if Azerbaijan has Iskander systems at its disposal, Mr Kolerov said that Armenia is the world’s first country to be supplied with the missile system.

“Russia has not yet sold Iskander to any country. Armenia is the only exception.”

Asked if Iskander at Artmena’s disposal will prove a deterrent for Azerbaijan, Mr Kolerov said:

“If Armenia wants to check Azerbaijan’s aggression, it will do it.”