Israel's defence minister to visit Azerbaijan Strengthening defence cooperation on agenda

Azerbaijan has been one of the major importers of defence products from Israel for many years. In 2014-2018 and 2018-2022, according to data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the second-largest importer of Israel-made arms was Azerbaijan. In 2016-2020, the purchases from Israel, one of the world’s top eight arms exporters, made up 69 per cent of Azerbaijan’s arms imports.

In 2016, President Aliyev revealed that the contracts between Azerbaijan and Israeli companies with respect to purchasing of defence equipment were close to $5 billion.

Among the major arms supplied by Israel are loitering munitions, reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), guided missiles, and ballistic missiles produced by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Elbit, Rafael, and other Israeli defence companies.

Azerbaijani authorities confirmed the use of Israeli-made “suicide” drones in the 2020 war with Armenia in the Karabakh region, the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.

Harop loitering munitions, known also as “kamikaze drones,” have reportedly had a great impact on giving the Azerbaijani army a clear edge over Armenia’s troops on the battlefields. Azerbaijani forces were also seen deploying the Israeli-made LORA operational-tactical missile system during the war.

The Middle East Eye claimed that Armenia launched the Russian-made Iskander ballistic missiles at Azerbaijan’s capital Baku in the final days of the hostilities in November 2020. However, the Azerbaijani forces intercepted the missile with a Barak-8 air defence system purchased from IAI.

Meanwhile, in 2021, Israeli defence company Meteor Aerospace and Azerbaijan’s Caspian Ship Building Company established a joint venture, known as Caspian Meteor. Its product portfolio reportedly features hi-tech defence solutions to meet the needs of the Azerbaijani military.

The defence cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel also enables countering the threats coming from Iran – the southern neighbour of Azerbaijan and Israel’s arch-rival.