Old enemies make new friends: Caucasus and India-Pakistan rivalry

The main purpose of this analysis is to assess the ‘systemic significance’ of Indian and Pakistani involvement in the Caucasus as a case study of a more systematically disruptive process, namely the emerging competition to fill the Russian security vacuum. [...] Secondary sources suggest Pakistan has been training Azerbaijani military units since 2016, well in advance of the conflict in Karabakh.4 From a military perspective, the significance of the Karabakh conflict is the tactical enactment of Turkey’s Network-Centric strategic concept (NCW), providing an opportunity to pilot the tactical integration of new command and control, military, and intelligenc. [...] Subsequently, India is unapologetic about reaping the benefits of new opportunities to cooperate with Russia, securing oil and gas at discounted rates and stepping in to carve out a bigger share of the Russian export market in pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and other sectors.31 However, the Russian power vacuum presents both a threat and an opportunity for India. [...] For instance, since 2013 Yerevan was able to secure military systems on prices at par with the Russian Armed Forces and on Russian credit.35 Even after the devastating Armenian defeat in the 44-day Karabakh War, the substance of this partnership with the Russian ‘elder brother’ remained unchallenged, until the war in Ukraine exhausted the Russian inventory.36 There is evidence to suggest that arms. [...] Public opinion in Yerevan is less than impressed with the benefits of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation.45 Naturally, Armenia is still looking to Russia to retain a peacekeeping force in Nagorno-Karabakh and counts on Iran to secure the supply of the very drone systems used by Russia in Ukraine.46 But the Pashinyan government is making an almost theatrical display of its dista.