On November 8, a parade dedicated to the fifth anniversary of Victory Day took place in Baku. Five years ago, the first phase of Karabakh’s liberation from a thirty-year occupation was completed — a conflict that Baku had sought to resolve for three decades through diplomacy and peaceful negotiations. Yet when those efforts proved insufficient, and the adversary continued its provocations, arrogance, and outright acts of terror, Azerbaijan turned to the diplomacy of strength.
The parade held on November 8 clearly demonstrated that since the great victory in Karabakh, Azerbaijan has not relaxed or lost vigilance — quite the opposite, it has significantly modernized its arsenal. And it should be noted that only the officially presented portion of the arsenal was displayed; beyond that, there are several technological systems that remain undisclosed to the public.
Still, by carefully following the parade, I could note a number of fascinating defensive and offensive systems whose procurement had previously been discussed either publicly or through insider sources. It is evident that Baku has substantially renewed its military inventory.
So what stood out the most?
HQ-9BE Air Defense System
Information that Baku had shown interest in the Chinese HQ-9BE surface-to-air missile system had been circulating online for quite some time — and it was finally presented during the Victory Day parade.
Azerbaijan is expected to become the fourth country in the world to operate this long-range system, capable of engaging aerial targets at a distance of up to 300 km.
According to military experts, the HQ-9BE is a Chinese counterpart to the Soviet/Russian S-300 system — and that’s true. However, unlike its Russian predecessor, the Chinese version boasts significantly better performance in both target interception and range. China took the general concept of the SAM system and pushed its technological boundaries.
For its part, Azerbaijan — long concerned about ensuring full national air defense coverage, especially after the terrorist missile strikes on civilian targets such as Ganja in 2020 — has been focused on expanding and strengthening its air defense capabilities.
This system is clearly one element of Azerbaijan’s future multi-layered air defense network, which, if properly developed and resourced, could rival even Israel’s Iron Dome in effectiveness.
JF-17 Thunder and MFI-395 Super Mushshak
Flying over Baku on November 8 were Pakistan-made JF-17 Thunder multirole fighters and MFI-395 Super Mushshak trainer aircraft, also produced in Pakistan.
Azerbaijan’s intention to purchase the JF-17 Thunder became known after Armenia announced in 2018 its plan to buy Russian Su-30SM fighters. Although these are aircraft of different classes, for Baku, the JF-17 represented an optimal solution for modernizing its air force. The first JF-17 Thunder Block III jets from Pakistan were spotted in Baku in the second half of October.
The JF-17, developed jointly by China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) and Pakistan, is based on the Chinese Chengdu FC-1 Xiaolong — itself a descendant of the Soviet MiG-21.
The fighter reaches speeds of Mach 1.6, a ceiling of 16,900 meters, and carries up to 3,600 kg of weapons on seven hardpoints. Crucially, it features a relatively small radar cross-section and a reduced thermal signature from its WS-13 engine (an upgraded version of the RD-93 turbofan). It can also deploy a broad range of air-to-air missiles.
Without question, this represents a high-quality and effective modernization of Azerbaijan’s air force.
PULS Multiple Launch Rocket System
Another highlight was the demonstration of the PULS (Precise and Universal Launching System) multi-caliber modular MLRS, produced by Israel’s Elbit Systems.
This is a versatile rocket artillery system capable of firing 122 mm, 160 mm, 306 mm, 330 mm, and 370 mm projectiles.
Due to its adaptability and modularity, PULS has become highly sought-after on the international market, and Azerbaijan was among the first to acquire it. The system proved its effectiveness during the 44-day war in 2020.
Sea Breaker
The Sea Breaker is a fifth-generation, high-precision, long-range anti-ship and land-attack missile system developed by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems. It can be launched from both naval and land platforms, with a strike range of up to 300 km.
Azerbaijan had long sought to secure its maritime borders with an advanced anti-ship capability. Reports in 2025 indicated that Baku had officially deployed the Sea Breaker, and its appearance in the parade confirmed this.
This marks a significant reinforcement of Azerbaijan’s coastal defense — a vital aspect of the country’s strategic control over its Caspian Sea borders.
Conclusions
The Victory Parade on November 8 in Baku showed that Azerbaijan’s armed forces continue to evolve dynamically. The country remains focused on the technological modernization of its military, choosing optimal “cost-to-capability” solutions.
The systems highlighted above are those that caught my particular attention — and those which Azerbaijan chose to showcase publicly.
In recent years, Baku has solved several key strategic tasks: optimizing its fighter aircraft fleet, strengthening coastal defense, and developing a multi-layered air defense network with a 300-km coverage radius.
Importantly, what was displayed at the parade represents only the visible portion of a much broader transformation process — one that has been unfolding rapidly since 2020. Much of it remains undisclosed, and perhaps some of what is hidden today will be revealed in next year’s parade.
Nonetheless, the fact remains: the Azerbaijani army of 2020 — already admired for its operational innovations during the Karabakh war — has evolved considerably by 2025, particularly in terms of technology.
Alexander Kovalenko, military analyst (Kyiv). Special for Minval.az
