Armenia receives anti-tank guided rockets, bullet-proof jackets, night-vision goggles, artillery and ammunition, small arms and advanced weapon-locating radars.
New Delhi: Armenia, a small country in Europe, has become India’s largest arms importer. India’s defence exports reached an all-time record level in the financial year 2023-24, which is around Rs 21,083 crore (about $2.63 billion) due to growing defence ties between the two countries. This is 32.5 per cent more than in 2022-23.
A report by the Ministry of Finance said that Armenia has become the largest importer of weapons from India after deals for Pinaka multiple-launch rocket systems and Akash anti-aircraft systems. This report also states that by the beginning of the current financial year 2024-25, the total purchase of weapons by Armenia from India reached $600 million.
Armenia has long relied on Russia for weapons and defense equipment. Between 2011 and 2020, Armenia imported 94% of its weapons from Russia. Which included advanced systems such as Iskander missile systems, Su-30SM fighter aircraft, air defense systems and multiple rocket launchers.
In a way, Russia has been the backbone of Armenia’s military capability for decades. However, after the Nagorno-Karabakh war with Azerbaijan in 2020, Armenia began to lose confidence in Russia. In this war, Russia did not help Armenia in the way it had hoped.
Then Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan publicly said without naming Russia, “Our allies have failed to deliver arms to Armenia despite contracts over the past two years.” Since then, Pashinyan has taken a cold stance on Moscow. Following this, Armenia started looking for alternative partners for its defense needs and turned to India.
India and Armenia marked the beginning of a significant partnership in 2020 following which Armenia signed defence deals worth $2 billion with India. After this, the relationship between the two countries became stronger over a period of time. Armenia has been steadily buying advanced weapons from India given the threat from its neighbours, especially Azerbaijan.
Which weapons does Armenia buy from India?
Pinaka Multi-Launch Rocket System: Renowned for its range and accuracy, the Pinaka systems enhance Armenia’s artillery capabilities, giving Armenia a strategic edge in mountainous areas such as Nagorno-Karabakh.
Akash-1S air defense missile system: Armenia placed a $720 million order for 15 Akash-1S systems in 2022. This was the first international sale of the air defence system developed by Bharat Dynamics Ltd, which is scheduled to be delivered this year. Akash-1S will enable Armenia to defend effectively against aerial threats such as fighter aircraft, guided missiles and drones.
Dornier-228 surveillance aircraft: The supply of Dornier-228 aircraft increases Armenia’s reconnaissance and surveillance capability, allowing it to monitor and control its airspace more effectively.
Other important military hardware: India has also given anti-tank guided rockets, bullet-proof jackets, night-vision goggles, artillery and ammunition, small arms and advanced weapon-locating radars to Armenia. These systems collectively provide Armenia with a more modern defense system.