Space and Security Activities in Azerbaijan

Abstract

Earth observation satellites are the source of valuable data for military intelligence, strategic planning, and development. Azerbaijan continuously monitors its occupied territories by means of remote sensing techniques. These territories constitute 20% of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region, the seven adjacent districts, and some exclaves. Despite the resolutions, adopted by UN Security Council in 1993, which reaffirmed the Nagorno-Karabakh region as a part of Azerbaijan and called for immediate, complete, and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces from all territories of Azerbaijan, the occupant still continues its activities, which lead to catastrophic changes in the occupied areas.

Azerbaijan owns a high-resolution Earth observation satellite Azersky, which in constellation with SPOT 6 is used to continuously monitor these areas, revealing the unacceptable changes of physical, economic, demographic, and cultural character in the occupied territories, such as environmental damage, permanent infrastructure changes, exploitation and pillage of natural resources, destruction of public and private property, implantation of settlers, and construction of permanent social infrastructure.

This chapter contains information about the remote sensing capabilities and techniques, as well as high-resolution satellite imagery, acquired by “Azercosmos” OJSCo, the satellite operator of Azerbaijan, which provides the overview of activities in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan from space.