The Jamestown Foundation:
The Azerbaijani military portal Azerideffence.com recently published information about Baku acquiring French ASTER 30-SAMP/T and VL MICA air-defense missile systems. A representative of the company producing these missile systems—MBDA—confirmed the information. Several days later, the Russian newspaper Kommersant informed that Moscow had refused to sell Baku the Bal-E coastal missile system despite Azerbaijan’s huge interest in purchasing it.
Although Russia is the main source of arms imports for Azerbaijan, Baku has also been increasingly procuring weapons from other countries. After Yerevan significantly boosted its stand-off offensive capabilities by obtaining at least one battalion of advanced Russian Iskander (SS-26 Stone) short-range, mobile ballistic missile systems in 2016, Azerbaijan pursued collaboration with Israel, Belarus, Turkey, Ukraine and other arms importers.
In addition to importing advanced multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) and surface-to-surface missiles from abroad, Baku is also interested in advanced air-defense systems. Most importantly, a top concern for Baku is the security of its strategic infrastructure, which is currently threatened by Armenian ballistic missiles.
