As expected, the Azeri press gives a lot of information about the events at the beginning of the month. It's not just that for Azerbaijanis, all ended successfully, and that it was a new experience, which should be disassembled to the smallest detail.
Immediately after the suspension of the active phase of protivostoyanie, we made an educated guess on that from the Azerbaijani side it was a reconnaissance in force. It seems that they have already waited a long time for major provocations by Armenians for such events. As you know, an agreement was signed between the EU, Turkey and Azerbaijan on the creation of a "southern energy corridor", providing for the construction of the pipeline, provocation or even large-scale war became inevitable. Remember the sad experience of NABUCCO. Actually, the invasion of Russia to Georgia was a result of this project. Europe has decided to diversify gas supplies and to lay a gas pipeline from the Azerbaijan, but in Georgia, even though the shortest path would be through Armenia. It was at that time the Russian-Georgian war, and the NABUCCO project was closed. Now this whole situation repeated itself with precision to the tenth decimal place. The difference was only the fact that Russia is already fighting two wars and the third war was to commence on her behalf. Armenia – a comfortable and trouble-free puppet. Even a hint was enough for Yerevan to start a new adventure, in the name of Moscow supporters. For them, Azerbaijan is already a few months waiting for this very moment to check in my new. Tactics for the final liberation of Karabakh.
The novelty of this tactic was to use the methods of offensive war, different from the one taught in Soviet and post-Soviet military schools. The situation looked like this. The Karabakh was not captured by the Armenians as "vacationers" army dying of a Scoop and the first Russian military "vacationers". They did it! Behind them stood the tacit support of Moscow and, accordingly, appliances and weapons. Azerbaijan is nothing of the kind had suffered defeat after defeat. In 1994 a truce was reached and established line of contact dividing Armenian (with the holiday) and Azerbaijanis. After that, all three parties to the conflict to fulfil their own tasks. Russia, in any case, canning a military conflict (as Abkhazia or Transnistria), Azerbaijanis took to create his own army, and the Armenians began to build a complex of fortifications across the line of contact.
It should be noted that at the time, Armenia was not only Russia, but also many Western countries, where there was a strong Armenian lobby, in particular the USA and France. This provision has helped to involve the construction of a line of defense not only facilities and specialists, but also best practices deusa military States. In particular, the basis of the complex of fortifications, adopted a line of defence army of Israel in the Golan heights, bordering on hostile Syria. There were to take engineering and tactical decisions and the calculation of the saturation of the defense. Herein lies the key to all further developments. The Israelis are pragmatic building up my defenses knowing exactly what the enemy is before them. It's no secret that the majority of the officer corps of Syria and Iraq, received his military education in the USSR and the art of war taught by the people who is preparing for yesterday's war. The Israelites well knew and expected break-in attempts by defense massively used tanks and artillery on a narrow front. Therefore, the defense lined up in such a way that the enemy is firmly linked in several lines of defense, getting in the crossfire of strong points. This was to pin down the enemy on the estimated time until the place will not arrive maneuverable strike group, which will do the final destruction of the enemy. That is, the line of defense was only one element of a common doctrine, which United so many components. It is obvious that the Israeli approach to defense or attack, has very little in common with what used to do scoops or their satellites. The Jews put at the forefront of maintaining the survivability and combat capability of its units and create appropriate samples of weapons and tactics work, rich in active maneuvering.
But in the 90s, the officers of Armenians and Azerbaijanis, consisted of Soviet and post-Soviet personnel. Initially, the Armenians did very well. Israeli defense doctrine is very easily suited to the nature of the conflict. The enemy in front of the Armenians was almost the same as before the Israelites, only weaker. Therefore, engineering structures, made on an Israeli sample, but by Soviet standards, well suited to the situation. Any clashes with Azerbaijanis ended the same way. The Armenians always took refuge behind his defense line, even field of daring incursions into enemy territory. Two decades has given Yerevan the confidence in the impenetrableness of their defensive wall.
But what initially gave an advantage eventually became a liability. Without adaptation to a changing world, Armenian fortified areas became obsolete rapidly and inevitably. The Azerbaijanis, from the beginning of the oil boom, have begun to purchase new equipment, which allowed them to redefine the very concept of an offensive war. The scenario of a massive breakout a separate section of the front, with numerous losses of manpower and equipment, the Azeris decided to act differently.
The initiative was given to the troops of special purpose, who went to the rear of the defending enemy troops. In this case, the artillery fire was concentrated not at the forefront of defense, and the second, the third line of defence and ways of approach of reinforcements. For this purpose specially bought long-range artillery and drones, which are necessarily corrected fire of artillery. Since this tactic was brand new, in some places not worked and advanced interaction group suffered losses. Downed from the grenade launcher, the Azeri Mi-24G, belonged to 1 squadron support of spetsnaz troops.
However, in General, the tasks were performed. The enemy's defenses were not resistant to new methods of hacking. Especially successful was the use of Israeli ATGM "Spike-NLOS". It works at a distance up to 20 km, and equally well destroy even tanks in closed positions or fortified command posts. The missile flies wherever it makes the spotter of fire. Roughly speaking, the operator does not see the goal, which leads the fire. Armor Armenians were vulnerable even in shelters that were considered absolutely reliable. In addition, a very successful and widely-used drones, particularly drones-kamikaze IAI HAROP (or IAI Harpy 2) Israel. Open data no ATGM, no drones no, it is not known how many of them actually purchased and how much used. Credibility is aware of several very successful arrivals of both weapons systems. Recall, it was a small battle in a limited area of the front, but the Azerbaijanis have been able to use almost all the samples of new military equipment. The only thing left doing the heavy artillery, in particular – TOC-1 "the Sun", which Baku had previously purchased in Russia. Thermobaric warheads of those weapons destructive to engineering structures. This installation has brought down the Russian terminal in the WCT.
But the most important achievement that Baku puts in the credit to the military, using drones and long-range artillery, were able to almost completely prevent the approach of reserves. This time was enough to gain a foothold in new positions. From all this it follows that the Azeris have moved away from those tactical and strategic techniques that professed Soviet school. Masses of tanks and herds of cannon fodder, gone. They started to fight differently, and the Armenian defense was not ready for this concept. Moreover, observers note that the transition Yerevan to new military doctrine, not physically possible. To do this, to review all defense, starting from machinery and ending with the transfer of personnel. Simply do not, and will not have money and it seems that already there is no time.
We also should draw conclusions from this rapid operation, took note of all the features that were identified in its course. I think the Azerbaijanis will gladly share my observations, because both have one common enemy.
Source: http://defence-line.org/
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