German MP: Europe and Russia must work with Armenia and Azerbaijan to reduce tension

October 30, 2016 By administrator

german-pm-karabakh YEREVAN. — Europe and Russia must work with Armenia and Azerbaijan to reduce the cases of escalation in Karabakh conflict area, German Bundestag member, chairman of the Armenian-German forum Albert Weiler told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

He recalled that after the escalation in April Germany, as OSCE chairing country, held talks with the representatives of Armenia and Azerbaijan, which led to easing tension. The politicians in Germany, and he personally, are trying to hold dialogue with both parties to find a joint solution, Mr. Weiler said, adding that it is not that easy.

Azerbaijani side launched diversionary penetration attempts on October 20 in easterly and southerly directions of the line of contact between the Karabakh and Azerbaijani opposing forces. The Defense Army vanguard units, however, detected the Azerbaijani special forces’ advance in timely fashion, and drew them back to their original positions, and also caused them to suffer casualties.

Russia modernizing Armenian tanks – paper

October 27, 2016 By administrator

Armenia and Russia have embarked on a large-scale project aimed at the modernization of the T-72 tanks in the Armenian Armed Forces’ arsenal.
The tanks will be upgraded to the T-74 level, a vehicle earlier used in tank biathlon competitions, the Russian Izvestia reports.

The Armenian Ministry of Defense was earlier planning to sign a tank modernization agreement with the Polish company Bumar Łabędy.
Speaking to the publication, Artsrun Hovhannisyan, a spokesperson for the Ministry, said that they have now got the necessary activities under way. But he refrained from unveiling specific figures or timeframes. An “informed source” was quoted as saying that several dozen units of equipment are being considered.

Sharing his impressions of the ArmHiTec-2016 conference in Yerevan, a Russian military expert, Aleksey Khlopotov, said the modernized T-72B4 tank was equipped with a remote control machine gun which can be adjusted also to the T-72 tanks.
“The agreement proposing the modernization of 84 tanks would cost an estimated US $100 million. But after participation in the Russian Tank Biathlon, Armenian tankers shared very positive views on the modernized T-72B4 tank. And that probably influenced the choice of the country’s military leadership,” said Vitaly Moiseev, the editor-in-chief of the internet project Otvaga 2004.

Armenia MOD: Russia has no technical capacity to block operation of our Iskander system

October 22, 2016 By administrator

Ballistic Missile “Iskander”

YEREVAN. – Whenever the Government of Armenia decides to use the Iskander-M tactical-operational missile systems, strikes will be made to the positions of the adversary.

Colonel Artavazd Yaghmuryan, head of the Missile Forces and Artillery Headquarters and Deputy Head of Department of the Armenian Armed Forces of the Ministry of Defense (MOD), stated the aforementioned at a press conference on Friday. He added that such a decision is the prerogative of Armenia alone, and not of any other country.

In Yaghmuryan’s words, before acquiring the Iskander long-range ballistic missile system, however, the MOD of Armenia had conducted a training of respective specialists.

Colonel Zorayr Gabrielyan, head of the Arms Operation and Panzer Division of the Armenian Armed Forces, in turn, noted that Russia, from which Armenia has purchased the Iskander-M system, has no technical capacity to block its operation.

“It’s our [i.e. Armenia’s] weapon,” noted Gabrielyan. “And we are the one to also plan its use.”

As for the Smerch heavy multiple rocket launchers, in Yaghmuryan’s words, the Armenian crew of this weapon had undergone training back in 1996.

“We have specialists for the use of this weapon,” he added.

Yerevan to Lavrov: No preconditions for Armenia-Turkey reconciliation

October 17, 2016 By administrator

lavrov-se The normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey should have no preconditions, an Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday, October 17, according to RFE/RL Armenian Service.

In a statement, Tigran Balayan played down Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s assessment of Turkey’s role in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. At a Yerevan-hosted CSTO session on October 14, Lavrov attached particular importance to Ankara’s role in the peace process. “Moscow believes that progress in Karabakh negotiations is pivotal for mending Armenian-Turkish ties,” he said.

On Monday, Balayan commented on the matter, saying that “for years, Russia’s stance has been in line with that of Armenia: reconciliation with Turkey must be exempt from any preconditions. We remain committed to our principled position.”

“I don’t think Moscow’s stance has changed either,” Babayan added.

Armenia has on numerous occasions urged Turkey to stay away from the Karabakh conflict.Relations between the two countries officially do not exist. In 1993 Turkey reacted to the war in Karabakh by closing its border with Armenia out of support for Azerbaijan. It has for years linked normalization of relations with Armenia with the settlement of Karabakh conflict.

Russia will deliver new weapons to Armenia, Sergey Minsayan says

October 17, 2016 By administrator

new-weapon An arrangement of delivering new weapons from Russia to Armenia was reached during the session of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) held days ago in Yerevan, political scientist Sergey Minasyan told a press conference.

“Yes, the relevant information is available. At this point I would refrain from detailing what kind of armament is to be supplied since the deal is not complete. Nevertheless, the arrangements are there and they have been reached within a short period of time and will come true,” Minasyan suggested.

Asked whether the weapons are to be delivered from Russia, Minasyan noted: “Today as during the previous years Russia is and has been the main military technical partner of Armenia, and the cooperation in the visible future will continue”.

Armenia, Russia team up to produce radio-electronic defense equipment

October 13, 2016 By administrator

Armenia and Russia will establish joint ventures for the production of air defense and radio-electronic defense equipment, officials from both states agreed on Thursday, October 13 on the sidelines of ArmHiTec-2016, an international exhibition of arms and defense technologies.

Launched on Thursday, October 13, the exhibition will run through October 15.

At the meeting, Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan and Chairman of Russia’s Military-Industrial Commission Board Oleg Bochkarev hailed the military cooperation between the two states and expressed hooe pf deepening the collaboration in this sphere.

The officials dwelled upon opportunities of creating joint ventures for manufacturing automobile and engineering machinery, as well as air defense and radio-electronic defense equipment, Aysor said.

Russia, Armenia to set up joint air defense system in the Caucasus

October 13, 2016 By administrator

armenia-russia-joint-air-defense1 By Viktor Litovkin,

The Armenian parliament has ratified an agreement between Moscow and Yerevan on the establishment of a single air defense system in the Caucasus region. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked the Russian State Duma to also approve the agreement, which is aimed at improving security along Russia’s southern border.

The agreement is concluded for a period of five years with the option to extend it for another five years.

Experts and military analysts regard the agreement as beneficial to both parties, particularly because it allows increased monitoring of Turkey.

Benefits to Armenia

“Under this agreement, we shall be able, when carrying our regional air defense tasks, to use Russian fourth-generation multi-role jet fighters, S-300 systems, their anti-missile and radar capabilities for aerial reconnaissance,” Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan told the country’s public television station Armenia 1.

Armenia already hosts Russia’a 102nd Military Base in Gyumri. The base is the home of the 988th Surface-to-Air Missile Regiment, which is equipped with an S-300V missile system as well as the relevant aircraft detection, tracking and missile guidance radars. Tank, motor-rifle and artillery units are also based there.

There are three MiG-29 squadrons deployed in the region, which if necessary can intercept enemy aircraft and, together with surface-to-air missile units, provide Armenia with effective air defense.

The Russian units will support Yerevan’s own substantial air defense capabilities, which include Soviet-made SAM systems such as the S-125 Neva with a range of up to 12 miles, the Krug with a range of 27 miles, the newer and more modern S-300PS surface-to-air missile systems with a range of 93 miles and the short-range missile systems Osa-AKM, Shilka, Strela-10 and Igla.

Once joined with the Russian air defense system, the Armenian Air Defense Troops will have access to all the information available to Russian Southern Military District units and the country’s air and missile defense troops.

However, the air defense above Nagorno-Karabakh will remain the remit of the Armenian Defense Ministry; Russian air defense systems will not be involved there.

Benefits for Russia

“Russia and Armenia do not have common airspace, they are separated by Georgia. The joining together of their air defense systems will allow Moscow to create an additional ‘air defense umbrella’ beyond its borders,” said former deputy air defense commander of the Russian Ground Troops, Ret. Lt. Gen Alexander Luzan.

He added that the new agreement will be an additional check on Turkey, which is both the strongest military power in the region and has the backing of NATO. “We know from experience what Ankara may do even without Brussels’ approval or contrary to its wishes. Whereas, a joint Russian-Armenian air defense system will become a serious warning to it,” Luzan said, noting that the 102nd Military Base had already acted as a deterrent to Turkish moves in the region.

Armenia is also on the frontline of air and missile defense for the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The new Armenia-Russia agreement will act in cooperation with other agreements already in place between CSTO countries, including a joint air defense system of the Western region (Belarus-Russia) and a joint air defense system of the Central Asian region (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia).

“The establishment of a joint CSTO air defense system is a strategically important decision. Furthermore, Russia, Armenia, Belarus and other CSTO countries are creating a single radar field, which should ensure air defense against threats posed by NATO member states, and Turkey in particular,” said Ret. Lt. Gen Norat Ter-Grigoryants, a former deputy chief of staff of the USSR Ground Troops and one of the founders of the Armenian Armed Forces.

Viktor Litovkin is a military observer for the TASS news agency. This article originally appeared at Russia Beyond the Headlines.

Source: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2016/10/12/Russia-Armenia-to-set-up-joint-air-defense-system-in-the-Caucasus/3711476290768/

Hillary Clinton’s Axis of Evil, neocon 2 potentially terrifying, thermonuclear consequences.

October 12, 2016 By administrator

clinton-russia BY Pepe Escobar

Let’s cut to the chase; Hillary Clinton is ready to go to war against Russia in Syria – with inbuilt, potentially terrifying, thermonuclear consequences.

Anticipating an outcome of the US presidential election as a remix of the 1972 Nixon landslide, Hillary has also coined, George “Dubya” Bush-style, a remixed axis of evil: Russia, Iran and “the Assad regime”.

That’s not even counting China, which, via “aggression” in the South China Sea, will also feature as a certified foe for the Founding Mother of the pivot to Asia.

And if all that was not worrying enough, Turkey now seems on the path to join the axis. President Putin and President Erdogan met in Istanbul. Moscow positioned itself as ready to develop large-scale military-technical cooperation with Ankara. That includes, of course, the $20 billion, Rosatom-built, four-reactor Akkuyu nuclear power plant. And the drive to “speed up the work” on Turkish Stream – which will de facto strengthen even more Russia’s position in the European gas market, bypassing Ukraine for good, while sealing Ankara’s position as a key East-West energy crossroads. In addition, both Moscow and Ankara back UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura’s position that “moderate rebels” (the Beltway’s terminology) holding eastern Aleppo hostage must be eradicated. The geopolitical game-changer is self-evident. As much as Erdogan may be a whirling political dervish, impossible to fathom and trust, while Putin is a master of the strategic long game, Moscow’s and Ankara’s interests tend to converge in the New Great Game; and that spells out closer integration in the dawn of the Eurasian Century. Quite a cup of hemlock for Hillary Clinton, who has already equated Putin with Hitler. Regime change or hot war? In the appalling spectacle that turned out to be round two of the interminable Trump/Clinton cage match, Donald Trump once again made a rational point – expressing his wish for a normalized working relationship with Russia. Yet that is absolute anathema for the War Party, as in the neocon/neoliberalcon nebulae in the Beltway-Wall Street axis.

The Clinton (Cash) Machine-controlled Democrats once again condemned Trump as a tool of Putin while bewildered Republicans condemned Trump because he goes against “mainstream Republican thinking”.

Here’s what Trump said; “I don’t like Assad at all, but Assad is killing ISIS. Russia is killing ISIS and Iran is killing ISIS.” Trump’s outlook on Southwest Asia relies on only one vector; destroy ISIS/ISIL/Daesh. That’s what adviser and former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) director, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, has been infiltrating into Trump’s notoriously short attention span. Flynn may have admitted on the record that ISIS/ISIL/Daesh’s progress was a “willful” decision taken by the Obama administration. Yet in his disjointed book Field of Fight, Flynn insists that, “the Russians haven’t been very effective at fighting jihadis on their own territory”, are “in cahoots with the Iranians”, and “the great bulk of their efforts are aimed at the opponents of the Assad regime.” This is a neocon mantra; unsurprisingly, the co-author of Flynn’s book is neocon Michael Ledeen. From dodgy American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) armchair “experts” to former counselors at the State Department, they all subscribe to the laughable view that the remixed axis of evil – now fully adopted by Hillary – is useless against jihadis; the good guys doing the difficult work are “the US-led coalition”. And damn those who dare criticizing the “relative moderates” backed by the CIA. What Trump said is anathema not only for establishment Republicans who despise Obama for not fighting against the Hillary-adopted remixed axis of evil. The real mortal sin is that it “disregards” core US foreign policy bipartisan assumptions held to be as sacred as the Bible. Thus the success of the neocon Ash Carter-led Pentagon in bombing the Kerry-Lavrov ceasefire deal which would imply coordinated airstrikes against both ISIS/ISIL/Daesh and the Front for the Conquest of Syria, formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, a.k.a. al-Qaeda in Syria.

Neocons and mainstream Republicans blame lame duck Team Obama for the “unholy reliance” on Russia and Iran, while neoliberalcons blame Russia outright. And high in the altar of righteousness, hysteria rules, with the neocon president of the NED calling for the US government to “summon the will” to pull a Putin regime change.

Ready to go nuclear? Hillary Clinton continues to insist the US is not at war with Islam. The US is de facto at war in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan’s tribal areas; involved in covert war in Iran; and has totally destroyed Libya. It’s not hard to do the math. © AFP 2016/ FADI AL-HALABI ‘Afghan Scenario’ to Unfold in Syria as US Halts Ceasefire Talks With Russia

In parallel, the deafening talk about Washington now advancing a Plan C in Syria is nonsense. There has never been a Plan C; only Plan A, which was to draw Russia into another Afghanistan. It did not work with the controlled demolition of Ukraine. And it will not work in Syria, as Moscow is willing to supply plenty of air and missile power but no boots on the ground of any consequence. That’s a matter for the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), Iran and its Shi’ite militias, and Hezbollah.

Ash Carter has threatened Russia with “consequences”. After blowing up the ceasefire, the Pentagon – supported by the Joint Chiefs of Staff — now is peddling “potential strikes” on Syria’s air force to “punish the regime” for what the Pentagon actually did; blow up the ceasefire. One can’t make this stuff up. Major-General Igor Konashenkov, Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman, sent a swift message to “our colleagues in Washington”; think twice if you believe you can get away with launching a “shadow” hot war against Russia. Russia will target any stealth/unidentified aircraft attacking Syrian government targets – and they will be shot down. The only serious question then is whether an out of control Pentagon will force the Russian Air Force – false flag and otherwise — to knock out US Air Force fighter jets, and whether Moscow has the fire power to take out each and every one of them. So in this three-month window representing the “death throes” of the Obama era, before the likely enthronization of the Queen of War, the question is whether the Pentagon will risk launching WWIII because “Aleppo is falling”.

Afterwards, things are bound to get even more lethal. The US government is holding open a first-strike nuclear capacity against Russia. Hillary firmly supports it, as Trump made clear he “would not do first-strike”.

The prospect of having axis of evil practitioner Hillary Clinton with her fingers on the nuclear button must be seen as the most life-and-death issue in this whole circus.

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.

Breaking News: ‘S-300, S-400 air defenses in place’: Russian MoD warns US-led coalition not to strike Syrian army

October 6, 2016 By administrator

Russia’s Defense Ministry has cautioned the US-led coalition of carrying out airstrikes on Syrian army positions, adding in Syria there are numerous S-300 and S-400 air defense systems up and running.

Russia currently has S-400 and S-300 air-defense systems deployed to protect its troops stationed at the Tartus naval supply base and the Khmeimim airbase. The radius of the weapons reach may be “a surprise” to all unidentified flying objects, Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson General Igor Konashenkov said.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, any airstrike or missile hitting targets in territory controlled by the Syrian government would put Russian personnel in danger.

The defense official said that members of the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria are working “on the ground” delivering aid and communicating with a large number of communities in Syria.

“Therefore, any missile or air strikes on the territory controlled by the Syrian government will create a clear threat to Russian servicemen.”

“Russian air defense system crews are unlikely to have time to determine in a ‘straight line’ the exact flight paths of missiles and then who the warheads belong to. And all the illusions of amateurs about the existence of ‘invisible’ jets will face a disappointing reality,” Konashenkov added.

He also noted that Syria itself has S-200 as well as BUK systems, and their technical capabilities have been updated over the past year.

The Russian Defense Ministry’s statement came in response to what it called “leaks” in the Western media alleging that Washington is considering launching airstrikes against Syrian government forces.

“Of particular concern is information that the initiators of such provocations are representatives of the CIA and the Pentagon, who in September reported to the [US] President on the alleged controllability of ‘opposition’ fighters, but today are lobbying for ‘kinetic’ scenarios in Syria,” he said.

He cautioned Washington to conduct a “thorough calculation of the possible consequences of such plans.”

US-led coalition jets bombed positions of the Syrian government forces on September 17, resulting in the deaths of 83 servicemen. Washington said the airstrike was a mistake, however Damascus claimed the incident was a “blatant aggression.”

The relocation of the S-300 system in order to protect Russian ships and the naval base in Syria was confirmed by Russian defense officials on October 4. Konashenkov assured that the S-300 is a “purely defensive system and poses no threat.” Russia also has S-400 missile defense systems at Khmeimim base that were placed there after Turkey downed a Russian SU-24 jet in November of 2015.