Artsakh National Hero recalled letter to Serzh Sargsyan

ArmInfo.Hero of Artsakh, ex-commander of the Artsakh Defense Army, Lieutenant General Samvel Babayan, today, on November 25, published a letter that he sent back  in 2013 to the then President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan.

In a letter to ArmInfo, the Armenian general pointed out the weak  tactics of the Armenian armed forces, which were at the level of the  20th century, compared to the armed forces of Azerbaijan. At the same  time, the military equipment, weapons and tactics of modern combat,  which are in service with Azerbaijan, significantly increase their  offensive capabilities, and it will not be difficult for the enemy to  conduct a successful lightning-fast military campaign against the NKR  Defense Army within 10 days.

"My opinion is based on the assessment of information about the  weapons, tactical training and equipment of the armed forces of  Azerbaijan. Concern about the resumption of hostilities in the zone  of the Karabakh conflict, presumably in April-May 2014, is due to the  fact that:

1)   at present, the Azerbaijani authorities have demanded an  ultimatum from the members of the OSCE Minsk Group to force Armenia  to sign a document on concessions in the Karabakh issue by the end of  2013, realizing that Yerevan cannot agree to the proposed  "compromise" option. The relevant draft OSCE framework document has  been submitted to you for signing and subsequent continuation of the  negotiation process in accordance with the principles stated in it;

2)   in 2013, Azerbaijan's military contracts with a number of  foreign states for the purchase of modern weapons and military  equipment are being completed;

3)   by February 2014, it is planned to open a railway connection  between Azerbaijan and Turkey through the territory of Georgia; 4) in  the same February 2014, Azerbaijan will launch two military  satellites, which, together with Israeli-made drones, will  significantly increase their military intelligence capabilities.  Realizing the perniciousness of the current situation for the  Armenian side, silence on my part on defense issues would be  tantamount to betrayal. We have an extremely limited time (actually  10 months) to change the situation. In this regard, I consider it  necessary to change the tactics of training Armenian troops to repel  a probable enemy strike in order to intercept the initiative of  hostilities, minimize personnel losses and, at the same time, dictate  to the enemy its own battle conditions. For this, it is necessary to  acquire the following types of modern weapons and military equipment  (the list is attached), as a result of which we will be able to both  defeat the enemy and delay the start of hostilities. Otherwise, we  will suffer heavy losses and receive significant material  destruction, which will lead to a military defeat, the loss of our  conquests in Artsakh, hundreds of thousands of new refugees and the  economic collapse of Armenia.  If we are unable to acquire the  proposed military equipment due to time constraints or for other  reasons, then the option of political concessions offered by the OSCE  remains, in order to avoid senseless bloodshed, countless and  irreparable victims, destruction of the national economy and complete  military defeat. This opinion is dictated by a real assessment of the  military-political situation in the region, and not by defeatism. The  path I propose, I believe, is the only correct one, which will allow  us to win a 100% military victory with minimal losses and force the  enemy to sign a political document on terms favorable to the Armenian  side. By purchasing the aforementioned weapons and military  equipment, we significantly (3-4 times) save human resources. Thus,  this proposal takes into account the limited human capabilities of  our side and does not require large-scale mobilization of troops. At  the same time, the combat capabilities of the proposed military  equipment paralyze the enemy's initiative, make it possible to  deprive him of offensive capabilities, control the density of fire,  suppress Azerbaijan's superiority in aviation and artillery, and also  launch a victorious counter-offensive by the NKR Defense Army. I am  ready in your presence to discuss with the military specialists and  experts of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia my proposed option for  modernizing the Armenian army and the tactics of conducting  hostilities in the zone of the Karabakh conflict, how it is possible,  from the point of view of the theory and practice of military art, to  wage the upcoming war. I am sure that military specialists will 100%  agree with my proposals. If they familiarize themselves with the  performance characteristics of the list proposed for the acquisition  of weapons and military equipment, then my personal presence may lose  its meaning. Thus, my proposals are in no way connected with personal  concern for career growth, but are dictated by a real assessment of  the situation and the interests of the nation. Objectively assessing  the financial and economic situation in Armenia, I think it expedient  to use your authority as the head of the Armenian state to unite the  financial potential of the Armenian diaspora and Armenian business in  order to solve the above problems.  Otherwise, the defeat of our side  will lead to financial and personal losses for the representatives of  the Armenian business. Delaying and indecisiveness in resolving these  issues will turn into a national catastrophe. I hope for your  understanding of the depth of the current situation and your  political sanity, "Samvel Babanyan said in a letter.