Azerbaijan is proceeding with the purchase of up to 300 self-propelled 120mm SAM-120 (or AM120) mortars manufactured by the Slovak state company ZŤS Špecial, with deliveries set to begin this year.
Azerbaijan will indeed purchase up to 300 self-propelled 120mm SAM-120 (or AM120) mortars manufactured by the Slovak state company ZŤS Špecial. This comes despite all the doubts about such a system in the era of modern warfare and drone use, to which these systems are highly vulnerable.
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The corresponding framework agreement for the procurement was signed on the sidelines of the WDS 2026 arms exhibition in Saudi Arabia. As Pravda reports, the purchase of the first 96 units has already been agreed upon, while the rest remain an option for now.
It is also noted that production will begin immediately upon signing the agreement, and the first Azerbaijani SAM-120 is planned to be presented at an exhibition in Baku in autumn 2026. The contract value is stated at €210 million.
Defense Express notes that the named sum is most likely for the first batch of 96 units. Since it is highly unlikely that a full-fledged self-propelled mortar would cost less than €1 million, €2.18 million per unit makes more sense by rough calculation.
This story also gives us approximate timeframes for SAM-120 manufacturing. They can be estimated at 7-9 months if we assume that plans to present the first finished sample in autumn are accurate, although it is unknown whether this will include passing all necessary tests.
Overall, Azerbaijan's potential purchase of Slovak self-propelled mortars became known last year. At the same time, the procurement's practicality raises questions, as the system's range is only 9 km with enormous dimensions and a weight of nearly 20 tons, making it an easy target for drones.
SAM-120, or AM120, is a modern breech-loading, fully automated self-propelled mortar with a rate of fire of 15-20 rounds per minute and an ammunition load of 60 mines. It is mounted on a Tatra 815-7 6x6 truck with an armored Puma cabin.
A possible reason for Azerbaijan's choice is the potential desire for partial or complete localization of such a system. This is supported by the fact that the Slovak company ZŤS Špecial signed an agreement with the Azerbaijani Scientific Production Enterprise Iglin. So perhaps subsequent contracts will include local production as well.
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