Huh, Karabakh is as Azerbaijani as Crimea was to Ukraine....it is a soviet fuck up to placate turks at the hoping they would go communist. This is armenian land through and through as far as you can go back.
It's not a fuck up, it is JUST AS PLANNED so that Russia can continue playing big brother to both.
They did a similar thing with Uzbekistan,Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan their maps are a bigger clusterfuck than this karabakh issue, and you have all sorts of ethnic clashes happening.
What exactly are they going to lose? They are fighting for a territory that is legally recognised as theirs (not of Armenians) by all of international community. No one supports Armenia's claim of Nagorno-Karabakh as Armenian territory. Unless they venture into Armenia's internationally recognised territory, why would Russians or US would get involved there.
Their objective in this war is to take Karabakh, if they don't succeed in this or it's a stalemate it means they failed to complete their objectives, hence lost.
Military comparison
Global FirePower index ranks Azerbaijan at 64 of 138 while Armenia is ranked 111 of 138.
| Azerbaijan | Armenia |
Population | 10,046,516 | 3,038,217 |
Manpower Available | 5,042,346 | 1,696,085 |
Active Personnel | 126,000 | 45,000 |
Reserve Personnel | 300,000 | 200,000 |
Defense Budget (USD) | $2,805,000,000 | $1,385,000,000 |
Purchasing Power (USD) | $172,000,000,000 | $28,340,000,000 |
Foreign Reserve (USD) | $6,681,000,000 | $2,314,000,000 |
Total Aircraft | 147 | 64 |
Combat Aircraft | 17 | 0 |
Dedicated Attack | 12 | 9 |
Transports | 1 | 3 |
Trainers | 29 | 13 |
Helicopters | 88 | 37 |
Attack Helos | 17 | 20 |
| | |
| LAND POWER | |
Combat Tanks | 570 | 110 |
Armored Vehicles | 1,451 | 748 |
Self-Propelled Artillery | 187 | 38 |
Field Artillery | 227 | 150 |
Rocket Projectors | 162 | 68 |
| | |
| NAVAL POWER | |
Fleet Strength | 31 | 0 |
Submarines | 4 | 0 |
Frigates | 1 | 0 |
Coastal Patrol | 13 | 0 |
Mine Warfare | 7 | 0 |
| | |
| LOGISTICS | |
Airports | 37 | 11 |
Merchant Marine | 313 | 0 |
Ports & Terminals | 1 | 0 |
Labor Force | 5,118,000 | 1,507,000 |
Roadway Coverage | 52,942 km | 7,705 km |
Railway Coverage | 2,918 km | 869 km |
| | |
| RESOURCES | |
Oil Production | 789,300 bbl | 0 |
Oil Consumption | 180,000 bbl | 47,500 bbl |
Proven Reserves | 7,000,000,000 bbl | 0 |
| | |
Azerbaijan is bigger and stronger in almost all areas and is desperate to get back the disputed territory and has been strengthening its military for the same.
In year 2015 Azerbaijan spent $ 3 billion dollars on its military, that’s
more than Armenia’s entire national budget.
All that paisa, all that equipment, and in the end they will have nothing to show for.
Saudia apparently spends some 10% of it's GDP on defence, having the latest American toys, but what is the use? they can't even keep a lid on a handful of Yemenis backed by Iran?