The Georgian military takes care of itself

Recently, the government of Georgia has been promoting the country's independent development of heavy weaponry – in particular, the 14-tonne armoured infantry vehicle, "Lazika". President Mikheil Saakashvili has stated that the country should not be dependent upon anyone, only itself, noting that Georgia intends to produce more weaponry, including drone aircraft.

By stating the necessity of taking care of one's self, Saakashvili hinted at the situation the country found itself in after the Russian invasion of 2008. Immediately after the war, Russia demanded that all Georgia's partner countries halt arms sales to the smaller nation. Russia attempted to impose an embargo on Georgia, although they were unsuccessful – all Georgia's allies refused the request, and denied that their role was as great as Russia imagined. Currently, Georgia does not receive arms imports from other countries for its military, therefore it must take care of itself. While direct defense budget expenditures have decreased, the government has increased expenses for technical and scientific research.

The Lazika vehicle is not a breakthrough in technology, but it is satisfactory for Georgian infantry needs, and will make our troops more mobile and more transportable. As President Saakashvili promotes them, Georgian-produced armoured vehicles are compatible with foreign standards, but are less expensive.

Information about assistance from other countries is neither confirmed nor denied by Georgia's Ministry of Defense, and we can assume that the government has called upon the experience Georgian specialists gained in the Soviet past. Overall, the technical and budgetary specifics of the Georgian military are confidential, so analysts cannot really estimate the situation. But one thing is clear, Georgia must be ready and able to resist any possible threat from Russia; “Civis pacem para belum” – If you want peace get ready for war.