Azerbaijan launches large-scale military exercises

Helicopters are seen during a Georgia-Azerbaijan-Turkey joint military exercises at the military base of Vaziani near Tbilisi, Georgia, June 12, 2017. (Xinhua/Tamuna Kulumbegashvili)

BAKU, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Azerbaijani troops began large-scale military drills on Monday to test defence readiness, organization of command and control of troops and means, the Defense Ministry said.

The exercises involved up to 23,000 military personnel, 120 tanks and armored vehicles, 180 rockets and artillery systems of different calibers, multiple launch rocket systems and mortars, 30 combat aircrafts, as well as new types of electronic warfare assets and unmanned aerial vehicles, the ministry said in a statement. 

Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Azerbaijan has been trying to further develop its armed forces. It has been undergoing extensive modernization and capacity expanding programs these years.

The military expenditure has increased rapidly in recent years. The military budget for 2015 is 5 billion U.S. dollars, while in 2014 the budget was 3.8 billion U.S. dollars.