As previously reported, proposed amendments to the Law “On Military Duty and Military Service” were brought for first-reading discussion during the plenary session of the Milli Majlis on October 23.
According to the draft law, the required tenure in the rank of lieutenant for military personnel who have graduated from specialized military educational institutions with a 5-year curriculum will be set at 2 years (1 year for aviation flight crews and personnel serving on submarines), and 1 year in all other cases.
The explicit mention of submarine personnel regarding lieutenant rank tenure prompted public queries across social media platforms regarding whether Azerbaijan possesses operational submarines.
Sea-news.az reports that in response to an inquiry from Trend, the Press Service of the Ministry of Defense confirmed that there are currently no submarines in the naval fleet of Azerbaijan.
Addressing whether legislation can encompass provisions for military hardware not currently in active deployment, Alimammad Nuriyev, President of the Constitution Research Foundation and Member of Parliament of the II Convocation, confirmed the legal validity of such provisions:
“The current absence of submarines in the country presents no legal obstacle to incorporating such clauses. Legislation frequently regulates service relations that may arise in the future. If a specific service category is not actively utilized, that particular provision simply remains dormant.”
The former MP recalled that this terminology is not a new addition to national law and already exists within the statutory framework:
“Article 31.3 of the Law ‘On Military Duty and Military Service’ already explicitly specifies personnel serving on submarines. A dedicated tenure duration for lieutenants in this category was instituted as early as March 3, 2006.”
| Military Rank Titles | For aviation flight crews and personnel serving on submarines | For other military personnel |
| Junior Sergeant | 6 months | 6 months |
| Sergeant | 6 months | 6 months |
| Junior Warrant Officer (Junior Midshipman) | 2 years | 2 years |
| Warrant Officer (Midshipman) | 3 years | 5 years |
| Junior Lieutenant | 1 year | 1 year |
| Lieutenant | 2 years | 3 years |
| Senior Lieutenant, Captain (Captain-Lieutenant) | 3 years | 4 years |
| Major (Captain 3rd Rank) | 4 years | 5 years |
| Lieutenant Colonel (Captain 2nd Rank) | 5 years | 6 years |
Nuriyev highlighted that Azerbaijan is a littoral state on the Caspian Sea, where several regional navies operate submarines and submersible craft:
“Azerbaijan does not—and should not—rule out acquiring such vessels in the future to further reinforce its naval capabilities. Furthermore, landlocked states or those without open-sea access can maintain maritime assets in international waters across the World Ocean. If operational requirements demand, naval assets could also utilize allied port infrastructure, such as in Türkiye. Maintaining these statutory classifications is essential.”
He added that establishing forward-looking statutory norms is far preferable to leaving legislative loopholes.
“Law serves as a catalyst for future societal and institutional development. The presence of such provisions is entirely standard legal practice. Legislation must proactively create structural frameworks for all potential future service scenarios,” he concluded.
The draft bill is scheduled for second-reading deliberations at the plenary session of the Milli Majlis on October 30.
