February 5, 2013 - 16:58 AMT
Azeri weapon mania: Baku to buy Georgian military vehicles

Azerbaijan, set on arming itself to the teeth, seems to have a morbid craving for military equipment. Clearly, despite international norms and quotas, Baku aims to gain international leadership for a rate of weaponry per capita. This time, Azeris have turned their eyes to Georgia.

According to the chairman of Georgian Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security Irakli Sesiashvili, South Korea and Azerbaijan are interested in purchasing Georgian military vehicles Lazika and Didgori, Azeri media said.

Lazika is a heavy armored, infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) with a fire control system, 23 mm caliber cannon and a mounted 7,62 mm caliber machine gun. Vehicle’s armor provides protection from 14,5 mm bullets and it has an effective day-night, thermal vision cameras that allow detection of a target at various distances.

Didgori armoured personnel carrier is quipped with thermal imaging cameras front and rear view of FLIR Systems. The armour withstands impacts of 7.62×54mmR AP rounds and 6–8 kg mine blasts at direct contact and from underneath without heavy damage.