Today marks the first year of the Victory Parade, dedicated to Azerbaijan's great victory in the patriotic war, codenamed Operation Iron Fist.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and his spouse Emine Erdogan partook in the December 10, 2020 Victory Parade in Baku's central Freedom Square.
The parade featured over 3,000 personnel, about 150 pieces of military equipment, including modern military equipment, air defense missile systems, and artillery, as well as warships and boats. The parade also demonstrated some of the military trophies, seized by the Azerbaijani Army from the defeated enemy during the Patriotic War.
Azerbaijani and Turkish Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan respectively addressed the parade.
After the presidents’ speeches, the Victory Parade kicked off. The personnel of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces marched towards the tribune, carrying the Azerbaijani national flag as well as the Victory Flag of the 44-day Patriotic War, inscribed in golden letters in our glorious military history.
A group of battle flag bearers, led by the Hero of the Great Patriotic War, Major General Zaur Mammadov, carried battle flags of the military units that played an exceptional role in achieving the victory.
Then, the servicemen of the Special Forces of the Defense Ministry, who displayed unmatched heroism, bravery, courage, and high professionalism in the holy battles of the patriotic war and thus brought joy to our people, passed by the rostrum. The three-column parade was led by Commander of the Special Purposes Forces under the Defense Ministry, Hero of the Patriotic War, Lieutenant General Hikmat Mirzayev.
Then the naval marines, led by First Class Captain Zaur Guliyev, passed by the tribune, and they were followed by the servicemen of the Foreign Intelligence and the State Security Services (SSS). Major General Rovshan Mukhtarov led the SSS servicemen in the parade.
Then special forces of the Special Army, led by Colonel Said Isayev, servicemen of the First Army Corps under the command of Colonel Taleh Mashadiyev, Second Army Corps under the command of Colonel Nemat Museyibov, the Third Army Corps under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Kamran Agabalayev, the servicemen of the Fourth Army corps under the command of Ilham Mammadov and the Sixth Army Corps, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Dayanat Muslimov, marched through the Freedom Square.
The servicemen of the Missile and Artillery Troops also marched along the rostrum with firm steps. The parade was led by Colonel Ismikhan Mammadov. During the victory parade, servicemen representing the fraternal Turkish Armed Forces, led by Major General Harun Ergen, also marched through the square.
Then, servicemen of the State Border Service (SBS) led by Major General Rasul Tagiyev, servicemen of the Interior Troops of the Interior Ministry, led by Major General Ingilab Muradov, and the servicemen of the National Guard of the Presidential Security Service of Azerbaijan. led by major Eldar Guliyev, entered Freedom Square.
A group of cadets of the Heydar Aliyev Higher Military School under the leadership of Major General Fuzuli Salahov, cadets and officers of the Jamshid Nakhchivanski Military Lyceum led by Major General Bakir Orujov entered the square and passed by the tribute.
For the first time, cadets of the Heydar Aliyev Military Lyceum from Nakhchivan attended the parade on Freedom Square. The parade team headed by Major General Mahammad Hasanov marched through the square.
Then the transition of military equipment began.
The victory parade, dedicated to the victory in the patriotic war, was supported by warships and boats of the Navy and the SBS Coast Guard from the sea.
The military parade also featured various pieces of the military the Azerbaijani army had captured as trophies during the 44-day second Karabakh war. A composition made up of license plates of over 2,000 impounded enemy vehicles was also on display at the parade.
The military parade also displayed pieces of military hardware, seized from the enemy during the clashes, that is D-30 cannons, SHILKA, OSA-1T, KUB anti-aircraft guns and missile systems, infantry fighting vehicles, T-72 tanks, as well as unusable equipment - armored UAZ Patriot, UAZ Hunter jeeps, ZIL-131, Ural, KamAZ trucks, the 122-millimeter Gvozdika self-propelled artillery unit, BM-21 Grad units, PDM-1 and PDM-2 military equipment, and T-72 tanks, which were destroyed by the powerful strikes of the heroic Azerbaijani army.
After that, a column of special purpose vehicles, armored vehicles, and weapons systems entered Freedom Square under the command of Lieutenant General Nizam Osmanov.
Several 12.7mm NSV machine guns, SPIKE-ER, NLOS, LAHAT anti-tank missiles, SandCat-Stormer armored steering and mobile vehicles with 120 mm SPEAR mortars, infantry armored vehicles, Cobra and BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, PDM-2 and PDM-3 military equipment, T-72 and T-90S tanks on display at the Freedom Square demonstrated the military power of the Azerbaijani Army.
Then came the passage of the column of Air Defense Systems in Freedom Square. The convoy was headed by Deputy Defense Minister - Commander of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Ramiz Tairov. Upgraded OSA-1T, S-125 TM, BUK-MB, Ildirim (Thunder) anti-aircraft missile systems, S-300 Favorit systems were also showcased in the parade.
Then Orbiter-1KM, Iti Govan (Dog chaser), Orbiter-2B, Orbiter-3B, Orbiter-4, Aerostar-BP, Heron unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), which played a crucial role in achieving victory in the patriotic war, as well as the most modern UAVs - Bayraktar-TB2, as well as Hermes-450, Hermes-900, Guzgun (Crow) and Harop were displayed.
Then a column of artillery systems entered Freedom Square. The column was headed by Major General Agamir Sultanov. Self-propelled howitzers and artillery on the square - 152-millimeter Akasiya, 152-millimeter MSTA-S, 203-millimeter Pion, as well as 220-millimeter TOS-1A heavy flamethrower, anti-tank complexes Chrysanthemum-S, DANA self-propelled howitzers, Grad, RM-70/85, BM-21, Smerch rocket launchers, TR-300 Gasirga (Hurricane), Extra - tactical, Polonez and LORA - operational-tactical missile systems were also carried through the square.
After that, fighter jets and helicopters of the Azerbaijani Air Force began flying over Freedom Square. A pair of MI-17 military transport helicopters led by Colonel Hasan Alovsatov flew over Baku Bay with the national flags of Azerbaijan and Turkey, greeting the participants in the Victory Parade. This was followed by flights of a group of MI-35 attack helicopters led by the Hero of the Patriotic War, Lieutenant-Colonel Rashad Nadirov. The flights of MI-17 helicopters, armed with LAHAT and SPIKE long-range missiles led by Lieutenant-Colonel Rahim Guluzada, and groups of MIG-29 multi-role fighter jets led by Colonel Zaur Rustamov were also met with interest. The performance of fighter jets and helicopters in the victory parade was completed by a group of Su-25 attack and air support jets equipped with modern weapons. The creation of the image of the national tricolor of Azerbaijan in the sky by a group led by the Hero of the Patriotic War, Major General Namig Islamzada, embodied that Azerbaijan's glorious national flag will always fly high.
The great victory of Azerbaijan’s valiant army under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, codenamed as Operation Iron Fist, is a demonstration of the military prowess and economic might of the modern independent Azerbaijani state.
On September 27, 2020, the Azerbaijani Army, which prevented the provocation of the Armenian armed forces on the frontline, counterattacked and liberated several districts, hundreds of townlets, and villages, strategic heights from the enemy. The 44-day patriotic war, which resulted in the hoisting of our tricolor flag in our liberated cities, villages, and settlements, ended with the victory of the Azerbaijani Army. The occupying Armenian armed forces could not withstand the irreversible attack of the Azerbaijani army and retreated with heavy losses. At the same time, thousands of enemy forces and military equipment were destroyed. The Armenian military-political leadership, realizing the futility of resisting the Azerbaijani Army, was forced to sign a capitulation document. Azerbaijani and Russian Presidents Ilham Aliyev, Vladimir Putin respectively, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed the statement on November 10, 2020.