Ministry of Defence Industry of Azerbaijan

Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan

Azərbaycan Respublikasının Müdafiə Sənayesi Nazirliyi
Coat of Arms of Azerbaijan
Agency overview
Formed	December 16, 2005
Headquarters	40, Metbuat Ave. Baku, AZ 1141, Azerbaijan Republic
Agency executive	Yavar Jamalov, Minister of Defence Industry of Azerbaijan
Website	www.mdi.gov.az

The Ministry of Defence Industry of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Аzərbаycаn Rеspubliкаsının Мüdаfiə Sənаyеsi Nаzirliyi) is a governmental agency within the Cabinet of Azerbaijan in charge of design, manufacturing, regulation and maintenance of products in the fields of defense, radio electronics, instrument engineering.

The Ministry was established on December 16, 2005 by presidential decree. The new Ministry, headed by Yavar Jamalov, incorporated the State Departments for Military Industry and for Armaments and the Military Science Center, each of which was formerly a separate agency within the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

Azerbaijan has a desire to become a major arms exporter to the South Caucasus, Central Asia and Middle East. It was announced in January 2008 that the defence industry of Azerbaijan would begin to manufacture armoured personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, as well as small calibre artillery guns. Whether this has actually taken place is unclear. The new ministry is cooperating with the defence sectors of Ukraine, Belarus and Pakistan. In 2008 several more military factories were created in Azerbaijan.

According to Sumarinly, the MDI has been in talks with various Israeli defense firms and two Turkish companies about the production of an armored vehicle based on the Russian T-55 tank’s chassis. MDI will also provide 30 South-African-designed Matador and Marauder armored vehicles to the army.