Armenian defense minister visits Polygroup Corporation in China

September 5, 2017 By administrator

As part of his official visit to China, Minister of Defense Vigen Sargsyan visited Polygroup Corporation, a company specialized in the manufacturing of energy and mining technologies, real estate and cultural heritage.

Prospects for developing a mutually beneficial cooperation in the defense sector were discussed with leading representatives of the company, reports the Ministry’s press service.

Over the recent years, Polygroup Corporation has recorded a significant progress especially in military industries, importing a wide variety of weaponry to the world market and securing high competitive advantages with leading companies’ products.

After the negotiations, Sargsyan toured the company to watch the ancient and valuable pieces of Chinese culture.

Japan deploys missile defense systems due to North Korea threat

August 12, 2017 By administrator

Due to the missile attack threat by North Korea, Japan has brought its missile defense systems to combat-readiness, reported RBC news agency of Russia. Such systems have been deployed in western Japan.

In addition, a cruiser, which is equipped with a system that can detect the launching of ballistic missiles, has been dispatched to the Sea of Japan.

According to a recent statement by North Korean authorities, if they were to launch ballistic missiles toward the American military base on the island of Guam, these missiles will fly over three Japanese prefectures.

Artsakh defense minister says ready to expand the security zone in case of a new Azerbaijani attack

July 30, 2017 By administrator

The Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) Defense Army will launch counter-offensive actions and expand the existing security zone should Azerbaijan initiate a new attack, Artsakh Defense Minister Levon Mnatsakanyan told in an exclusive interview to Armenian Public Channel’s “Off the Agenda” program aired on Saturday evening.

“In case of a new attack we will inflict crushing blow on the adversary forces and certainly undertake counter-offensive actions. We will expand the width and the depth of the existing security zone during those counter-offensive actions. The few positions that came under Azerbaijani control in April 2016, will definitely be retaken,” Mnatsakanyan said.

Speaking of Azerbaijan’s policy to use its civilian population as a human shield and the incident of July 4, Levon Martirosyan said the Armenian side regrets over the casualties among civilians, yet the Azerbaijani side bears the full responsibility.

“I would recommend to refuse using civilians as a human shield and remove firing points from civilian settlements, since our frontline units will retaliate in case of any shelling irrespective of the location of those firing points”

Speaking of the sabotage infiltration attempts by Azerbaijani forces and Armenian actions to thwart them, the minister said: “We can definitely state no sabotage infiltration attempts are registered today. That is due to the Armenian side disrupting them. We are controlling the situation across the entire Line of Contact including at nighttime. The last attempt was made overnight to February 24-25 of this year, and we all know the outcome. They suffered 6 losses with five of them leaving on the field and the one severely wounded who died afterward in the hospital. After that incident attempts of subversive attacks were permanently excluded.”

Speaking of the reports emerged in the aftermath of the April Four-Day war about the elimination of the so-called “052 Yashma” Azerbaijani elite special force unit, the Artsakh minister said: “The document certifying about the identity of 71st or 72nd group members of 052 brigade of “Yashma” was found at their bodies that were exchanged. It is believed that the 1000th serviceman was on the battlefield and was killed during those clashes. That is being said the whole staff of the brigade was involved in military actions in the northern direction despite Azerbaijani claims they didn’t attacked. According to our data, they have around 400 losses in manpower in only that brigade. Today, they are engaged with assessment works, studying the military units, regiments, choosing special unit forces among conscripts aiming to restore their forces. I am pessimistic they will manage to recover from those losses in two years. They can augment yet their ability to solve serious matters remains open,” the minister noted.

Mnatsakanyan next reflected on the lethal cases on the frontline as a result of sniper fire calling on the necessity to strictly follow the security guidelines on the frontline as most cases are registered due to violation of those rules. In the minister’s words, works are underway aimed at reducing the sniper incidents.

Balance of power between Armenia, Azerbaijan never tilted amid Azerbaijani arms purchase – Artsakh Defense Minister

The balance of power between Armenia and Azerbaijan never tilted and will never change amid Azerbaijani purchase of new weapons, Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) Defense Minister Levon Mnatsakanyan stated during the interview to Armenian Public Channel’s “Off the Agenda” program aired on Saturday evening.

“The balance never tilted and will not be shifted. It was shifted in 1992 with the Azerbaijani side having the full advantage in terms of the available armament. They failed to fulfill their task then and ended up with what was achieved in May 1994. That was the only period when the balance was tilted, while it will be maintained forever,” Mnatsakanyan stressed.

In the minister’s words, the Azerbaijani army faces serious problems in terms of efficient use of the obtained weapons as evidenced by the experience.

“We saw that in April once again. During the military actions of the Four-Day war in 2016 the adversary applied modern armament, Smerch multiple rocket launchers, TOS-1 artillery systems, T-300 Kasirga multiple rocket systems of Israeli and Turkish productions, combat drones with precision strike capability among them. With all that they claimed only limited success in certain directions. This comes to demonstrate that despite the weapon acquisition, they have problems in terms of exploiting them,” the minister said also questioning the Azerbaijanis ability to fully utilize them during border actions.

Asked whether the adversary is preferring offensive or defensive operations judging from the available intelligence data, Mnatsakanyan noted Azerbaijan voices its tactic of offensive predominantly in its public statements, while in reality carries out serious defensive works.

“Our surveillance systems provide information at a distance of 10-15 km deep into Azerbaijani territory with the adversary engaged in heavy engineering works. It shows that despite their statements, Azerbaijanis are forced to defend should the time come. The Defense Army will attack upon necessity and carry out tasks in those territories,” Mnatsakanyan added.

Vigen Sargsyan: Armenia seeks to expand defense cooperation with Iran

January 31, 2017 By administrator

The settlement of the regional disputes by means of the use of force is considered unacceptable by Iran. Iran’s Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics Hossein Dehghani has noted the aforesaid during the meeting with Armenia’s Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan today in the morning. Panorama.am reports referring to the Information and Propaganda Department of Iran’s Defense Ministry.

Expressing satisfaction over dynamically developing Armenian-Iranian relations Iran’s Defense Minister has said: “Surrounded by 15 neighbors Iran has always sought to establish good neighborly relations with them.”

Turning to the regional conflicts Hossein Dehghani has particularly noted: “The settlement of the regional conflicts through the use of force is unacceptable. They must be tackled exclusively by peaceful means_ through dialogues and Iran will take all the possible efforts to support that process.”

Underscoring Iran’s role in the region Armenia’s Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan has assured that Armenia is willing to expand its cooperation with Iran and to raise the bilateral relations to a new level.

“Armenia seeks to expand its cooperation with Iran in the defense sphere and we believe that this visit will promote the further cooperation,” he noted.

Vigen Sargsyan has welcomed Iran’s role in the process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement and expressed confidence that the conflict has no military solution.

Armenian Defense Minister holds meeting with members of U.S. and U.K. expert group

December 7, 2016 By administrator

defense-ministers YEREVAN. – Defense Minister of Armenia Vigen Sargsyan on Wednesday held a meeting with the members of the joint U.S. and U.K expert group of cooperation in defense strategy reconsideration process. The meeting was also attended by the U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills.

At the meeting, the process of reconsidering the defense strategy was discussed and the further steps of cooperation were identified, the press-service of the Defense Ministry reports. Furthermore, special attention was attached to management and military education.

Russia, Armenia inch closer in collective defense with upgraded joint task force

November 29, 2016 By administrator

Armenia and Russia are set to sign a treaty on a joint task force, which would give legal grounds for Russia to use its military to protect Armenia from foreign aggression. Armenia is among the few nations hosting Russian troops on its territory.

The new Joint Task Force (JTF) agreement set to be signed this later week between Moscow and Yerevan upgrades an existing military cooperation mechanism, going into far greater detail about how troops would be used in case of a hypothetical attack. For instance, it marks the Russian military base in Armenia as a key component for the JTF deployment, gives Russian command and communication systems a priority in the force’s operation, and states that the JTF commander, who remains in the Armenian chain-of-command during peacetime, may become subordinate to the commander of Russia’s Southern Military District in wartime.

“If Armenia is attacked, the Russian military base in Gyumri would be involved in our defense, but this requires legal grounds. This international agreement will provide such grounds,” Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sarkisyan told Armenian media.

Sarkisyan’s comment came ahead of a visit to Russia this week, during which he and his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu are to sign the new agreement. It will be his first foreign trip since his appointment in October.

The Gyumri base is one of a handful of Russian military faculties on foreign soil and is a legacy of the Soviet Union. Armenia is to host it until at least 2044, according to the standing agreement. The base is home to about 5,000 Russian troops as well as air defense systems, Mig-29 fighter jets and Mi-24 helicopter gunships.

Russia and Armenia also joined their air defense systems in December 2015.

Armenia, a predominantly-Christian country, is locked in a long-time conflict with its neighbor Azerbaijan, which has mostly Muslim population and has close cultural and political ties with NATO member Turkey. The Turkish-Armenian border is also closed. Yerevan and Baku have a conflict dispute over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which seceded from Azerbaijan in a bloody war in the early 1990s and declared independence. Armenia supports the self-proclaimed republic, including militarily.

In April, the frozen conflict flared into violence as Azeri troops raided Nagorno-Karabakh, claiming to be responding to attacks. The hostilities quickly escalated, with tanks, strike helicopters and artillery used by both sides.

Putin submits joint air defense deal with Armenia for ratification

October 7, 2016 By administrator

joint-defense Russian president Vladimir Putin has submitted an agreement between Moscow and Yerevan on joint air defense for the ratification of State Duma, Gazeta reported.

The document was signed in Moscow last December and was later ratified by Armenia’s National Assembly.

Armenian parliament ratifies air defense system deal with Russia

June 30, 2016 By administrator

joined defense With a vote of 102-8 (no abstention), Armenia’s National Assembly on Thursday, June 30 voted to ratify the agreement on creating a joint air defense system with Russia, Yerkir Media reports.

Russia and Armenia on December 23, 2015 signed a collective security deal on a joint regional air defense system in the Caucasus. The agreement was signed by the heads of defense of the two countries, Sergey Shoigu and Seyran Ohanyan.

As Deputy Defense Minister Ara Nazaryan said at the parliament, the deal seeks to improve the air defense system in the Caucasus region.

Earlier on Wednesday, Minister Ohanyan said that under the agreement Armenia will be able to make use of 4th generation multifunctional Russian fighter jets, S-300 missile systems, plus not just air defense but also missile defense facilities.

Protest against Armenian-Russian common air defense system agreement in Yerevan (updated)

June 13, 2016 By administrator

Members of the action group ‘We are masters of our country’ have gathered in front of Armenia’s Parliament to prevent ratification of the Armenian-Russian agreement on common air defense system in Caucasus.

Joined by a number of political figures – Paruyr Hairikyan, Andrias Ghukasyan, Founding Parliament member of Varuzhan Avetisyan and others – people arrived, with posters reading: “Handover of air-defense is tantamount to shelling of Stepanakert”, “One more step of betrayal”, “No giving either air or land.”

Mr Avetisyan told Tert.am that, under the agreement, Armenia will not be able to exercise its powers as Russia has a right to a final decision.

Tigran Khzmalyan said by joining the agreement Armenia will actually act against NATO, which is now greatly supporting Armenia.

Mr Avetisyan thanked the protesters and said that, according to the information at their disposal, the agreement has been removed from the agenda of Armenia’ parliament.

“It is unclear when the issue will be put on the agenda. We intend t follow the developments,” the opposition political figure said.

The protesters are handling Armenian national flags and Flags of Europe.

Russian Defense Ministry Denies Violation of Turkish Airspace by Su-34 “propaganda”

January 30, 2016 By administrator

The Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday that no Russian aircraft had violated Turkish airspace, adding that neither Russian air defense in Syria, nor Syrian radards had detected violations of Turkish borders by a Russian Su-34 warplane as Ankara claimed earlier in the day.

Turkey’s reports of an alleged violation of Turkish airspace by a Russian Su-34 are unfounded and “propaganda,” the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said.

“There were no violations of Turkish airspace by aircraft of the Russian air group in the Syrian Arab Republic. Turkish authorities’ statements of an alleged violation of Turkish airspace by a Russian Su-34 jet are naked propaganda,” Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

The alleged incident involving a Su-34 fighter bomber took place on Friday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said earlier in the day, adding that the plane had been warned by Turkish air radar units.

“None of these radars are able to establish the type and affiliation of an aircraft — whether it belongs to Russia or to the so-called US-led anti-ISIL [Daesh] coalition,” Konashenkov told reporters.

He emphasized that neither Russian air defense systems in Syria nor Syrian radar stations detected any violations of the Turkey-Syria border.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said earlier in the day it had summoned the Russian ambassador after an alleged incident involving a Su-34 fighter bomber. On Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he wanted to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin after the incident.

Russia’s Reaction to Turkey Downing Su-24 ‘Is More Than Reserved’ – Putin

On November 24, a Turkish F-16 fighter shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber with two pilots on board over Syria. Ankara claimed it had downed the Russian warplane as it had allegedly violated Turkish airspace. Both the Russian General Staff and the Syrian Air Defense Command have confirmed that the Russian jet never crossed into Turkish airspace.

In response to Ankara’s “stab in the back,” as the incident has been described by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow imposed a number of economic measures on Turkey.