Azerbaijani Armed Forces

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Silahlı Qüvvələri) is the military of the Republic of Azerbaijan. It was re-established according to the country's Law of the Armed Forces on 9 October 1991. The original Azerbaijan Democratic Republic's armed forces were dissolved after Azerbaijan was absorbed into the Soviet Union as the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic from 28 April 1920. After the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991–92, Azerbaijan's armed forces were reformed based on the Soviet bases and equipment left on Azerbaijani soil.

The armed forces have three main branches: the Azerbaijani Land Forces, the Azerbaijani Air Forces and the Azerbaijani Navy. Associated forces include the Azerbaijani National Guard, the Internal Troops of Azerbaijan, and the State Border Service, which can be involved in state defense under certain circumstances.

In the early 21st century, Azerbaijan began extensive modernization and capacity expansion programs, with the military budget increasing from around $300 million in 2005 to $2.46 billion in 2009. The total armed forces number 57,800 personnel in the land forces, 8,650 personnel in the air force and air defence force, and 1,750 personnel in the navy. In 2008 there were also estimated to be 19,500 personnel in the National Guard, State Border Service, and Internal Troops. In addition, there are 300,000 former service personnel who have had military service in the last 15 years. The land forces of Azerbaijan have 547 main battle tanks, 333 infantry fighting vehicles, 506 armored personnel carriers and 1,345 artillery pieces. The air force has about 52 combat-capable aircraft and 47 attack helicopters.

In Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding region, the Azerbaijani armed forces are repeatedly involved in fighting, especially with neighboring Armenia (e.g., the Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020 and the blockade of the Republic of Artsakh in 2022-23).

According to the Azerbaijani media sources, the military expenditure of Azerbaijan for 2009 was set at US$2.46 billion. However, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, only $1.473 billion was spent that year. IISS also suggests that the defence budget in 2009 was $1.5 billion. The Ministry of Defence Industry of Azerbaijan supervises the design, manufacturing, regulation and maintenance of military equipment. In the future, Azerbaijan hopes to start building tanks, armored vehicles, military planes and military helicopters.