Armenia has joined Russian-Belarusian CIS air defense systems TASS 11612161

Defence & Security News - Armenia
 
Armenia has joined Russian-Belarusian CIS air defense systems.
Armenia has joined Russian-Belarusian interstate financial and industrial group Defensive Systems, the Armenian Defense Ministry told TASS. Military cooperation between Armenia and Russia is based on both states being members of the military alliance as well as participants in the Joint CIS Air Defense System.
     
Armenia has joined Russian-Belarusian interstate financial and industrial group Defensive Systems, the Armenian Defense Ministry told TASS. Military cooperation between Armenia and Russia is based on both states being members of the military alliance as well as participants in the Joint CIS Air Defense System. Russian-made S-300PM air defense missile of Armenian army at military parade in Yerevan (Source TERT AM, LLC)
     
"Armenia has joined the February 11 Russian-Belarusian intergovernmental agreement on establishing the Defensive Systems Financial and Industrial Group," the ministry said. "The purpose of the group is to use the integrated scientific, technical, production and investment capabilities of the participants for developing and manufacturing high-technology dual-use and commercial products competitive on the global market."

According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, Armenia attaches importance to pursuing and expanding its relations with Russia and Belarus. Yerevan expects to maximize the capabilities of the financial and industrial group, because this "will bolster the republic’s defense capabilities."

According to Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sarkisyan, the country continues to develop military technologies for domestic use. Some of them have been unveiled at prestigious international arms shows.

According to the defense minister, the country believes that the most promising of its development programs are those on intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance and fire control electro-optical and radar systems, laser instruments, mobile radars and digital radio relay stations, and microwave units for upgrading air defense and electronic warfare systems. In addition, Armenia’s research institutes and defense industry develop unmanned aerial vehicles on a par with those of foreign analogs and quite competitive on the international arms market.

"We have been attaching increasing importance to defense production cooperation of late," Vigen Sarkisyan said. "Purposeful work is under way to integrate several Armenian defense contractors with the Defensive Systems Financial and Industrial Group of Russia and Belarus. The minister "deems it promising to pursue the Armenian-Russian cooperation to set up certificated maintenance centers and repair joint ventures for Russian-made combat gear in Armenia."

The Armenian armed forces are mainly equipped with Russian-made air defense systems as S-300PM, SA-4 Ganef (2K11 Krug), SA-6 Gainful, SA-2 Guideline (S-75), S-125 (SA-3 Goa), and SA-13 Gopher (Strela-10).
     
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