Armenia vs Azerbaijan military power comparison: Which is more powerful?

alex pitters · Sep 28, 2020

The fight between Azerbaijan and Armenia that broke out on Sunday has escalated further. Both sides have accused each other of using heavy artillery, tanks, and helicopters. It was the fiercest clash between the two nations since 2016. In this Armenia vs Azerbaijan military power comparison, we take a look at their military capabilities as the battle rages.

Why are they fighting?

Armenia and Azerbaijan are located in the South Caucasus region, which is an important route for the international oil and gas supply. The international community has jumped in to diffuse the tensions.

The United States has called on both sides to stop hostilities immediately. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to “immediately stop fighting.” But a ceasefire doesn’t seem to be in sight.

The two countries have been fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave for a long time. The Nagorno-Karabakh region has been controlled by ethnic Armenians since 1991, but is legally a part of Azerbaijan.

Turkey has openly come out in support of Azerbaijan. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Armenia “the biggest threat to peace in the region.” Russia has traditionally supported Armenia.

France, Russia, and the United States have often stepped in to mediate the ceasefire whenever the two countries fought in the past three decades. But all three mediators are busy with their own challenges such as the novel coronavirus.

Armenia vs Azerbaijan: Military power comparison
The comparison below is based on data from ArmedForces.eu. Azerbaijan is stronger than its rival militarily. It also has a much higher military budget.

Armenia has a nearly non-existent navy, which makes sense considering it’s a land-locked nation surrounded by Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, and Georgia. In contrast, Azerbaijan maintains a strong navy.

Let’s dive into the details of their military might.

Azerbaijan	Armenia
Military budget	USD $2.73 billion	US $0.5 billion
Active military personnel	66,940	45,000
Reserve personnel	300,000	240,000
Tanks	665	529
Armored fighting vehicles	1,637	1,000
Total artillery	740	293
Total aircraft	127	65
Fighter jets	5	0
Naval vessels	31	0
Submarines	4	0
Nuclear weapons	0	0