Azerbaijani Air Force

The Azerbaijani Air Forces and Air Defense Troops (stylized as ), composed of the Azerbaijani Air Forces () and the Azerbaijani Air Defense Troops (), are the air and air defense service branch of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. History The Azerbaijani Air Forces traces its origin to 1919 during the short-lived Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which had originally bought its first military aircraft on 26 June 1918. Following Azerbaijan's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the former Soviet air bases in the country helped to develop the Air Forces and Air Defense Troops. On February 11, 2009, the Commander of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Rail Rzayev, was assassinated outside his home by an unidentified armed assailant. Rzayev had been reportedly negotiating closer ties with the United States regarding air force modernisation before his death, possibly including the acquisition of US fighter aircraft. He was succeeded by Major-General Altay Mehdiyev who was appointed the new Commander of the Air Forces on 12 May 2009. Organization Brinkster.net reported in October 2004 that the Azerbaijani Air and Air Defense Force comprised a fighter squadron at Nasosnaya Air Base with MiG-25PDs and training variants, a bomber aviation regiment at Kyurdamir with Su-17/24/25, MiG-21s, and L-29/39s, a transport aviation squadron at Ganja Airport with Il-76s(?), Аn-12/24, and Тu-134s, a helicopter squadron at Baku Kala Air Base with Mi-2/8/24s, two aircraft repair factories, and two air defense missile units. Other air bases include Dollyar Air Base (which Jane's Sentinel says is reported to be non-operational) Nakhchivan Airport in the Nakhchivan exclave, Sanqacal Air Base, and Sitalcay Air Base.