Azerbaijani media reported on Thursday an official visit by a senior delegation from Israel’s Ministry of Defense to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, which borders Iran to the south and lies along the Caspian Sea.
According to the reports, the delegation was headed by Brig. Gen. (res.) Dr. Daniel Gold, Director of the Defense Research and Development Directorate (DDR&D - MAFAT). As of now, no official statement has been released in Israel regarding the visit.
The visit comes at a sensitive regional moment, shortly after Azerbaijan's military publicly showcased advanced Israeli-made missiles during a parade marking victory in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The missiles displayed were Rafael’s Sea Breaker systems, revealed for the first time mounted on military trucks.
Until now, arms deals between the two countries had remained low-profile, but the open display of Israeli systems brings the military cooperation into public view - possibly intended as deliberate deterrence.
The missile was specifically designed to meet challenges in environments dense with electronic warfare systems, a field in which Russia and Iran are considered to possess advanced capabilities. The system operates without GPS, flies at low altitude (sea-skimming), and can autonomously distinguish genuine targets from decoys.
According to an analysis published by the defense website Army Recognition, Baku’s decision to showcase the missile publicly is “a conscious signal intended to complicate the adversary’s planning in the Caspian Sea.” The report notes that the missile’s 113 kg warhead is capable of disabling a frigate or warship with a single strike.