June 3 2013
Russia has deployed an advanced new missile system to its base in Armenia,amid deteriorating relations with Armenia's rival, Azerbaijan. A source in Armenia's Defense Ministry
confirmed to RFE/RL's Armenian service the deployment of "several" Iskander-M systems.
Russian-made Iskander-M missile systems are in the inventory of the Armenian Armed Forces and all the remarks that the systems are on the books of the 102nd Russian military base
"Iskander-M systems were delivered to Armenia long ago and they will officially be demonstrated at the September 21 military parade timed to the 25th anniversary of Armenia's Independence.
The deployment of several Iskander-M systems in the 102nd Russian military base
"Armenia's CSTO membership demonstrates that Yerevan will not remain face to face with external threats and that such a powerful organization as CSTO will be implementing its allied obligations to defend the partners against external challenges and threats," he says.
STATE
Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a
sovereign state in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia. The modern Republic of Armenia became
independent in 1991 during the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Located in Western Asia, on the Armenian Highland, it is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, the
de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and Azerbaijan's exclave of Nakhchivan to the south. Armenia presently maintains good relations with almost every country in the world, with two major exceptions being its immediate neighbours,
Turkey and
Azerbaijan
A former republic of the Soviet Union, Armenia is an emerging democracy and as of 2011 was negotiating with the European Union to become an associate partner. Legally speaking, it has the right to be considered as a prospective EU member provided it meets necessary standards and criteria, although officially such a plan does not exist in Brussels. The Government of Armenia, however, has joined the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union. Armenia is included in the European Union's European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) which aims at bringing the EU and its neighbors closer.
MILITARY RELATIONS
Armenia is member of Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) along with Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It also participates in NATO's Partnership for Peace (PiP) program and is in a NATO organisation called Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC). Armenia has engaged in a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo as part of non-NATO KFOR troops under Greek command. Armenia also had 46 members of its military peacekeeping forces as a part of the Coalition Forces in Iraq War until October 2008.
ARMY
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia omprise two services: the Army, and the Air Force and Air Defense (a unified branch). Being landlocked, there is no navy. The military was partially formed out of the former Soviet Army forces stationed in the Armenian SSR (mostly units of the 7th Guards Army of the Transcaucasian Military District).
The Army has mostly Soviet era legacy systems. In 2010, armor included T-80 (20), T-72 (200+), T-54/55 (8) tanks and BMP-1's (80), BMP-1K (7), BMP-2 (55), BMD-1S (5), MT-LBs (145) and BRM-1K (12). Wheeled IFV included BTR-60s (11), BTR-70s (21), BTR-80s (4), and BRDM-2 scout vehicles (120).
Although the Russians have supplied newer equipment to Armenia over the years, the numbers have never been sufficient to upgrade all ground force formations and many of the lower readiness units still have older, Soviet-legacy systems that have not been upgraded or in many cases effectively maintained. These older systems are placing great demands on the logistics system for service, maintenance, replacement parts and necessary upgrades, costing the army both financially and in overall readiness.
Today armor comprises T-90S (1) T-80 (20), T-72 (137), T-54/55 (8) tanks and BMP-1's (75), BMP-1K (7), BMP-2 (50), BMD-1 (10, incl. 5 BMD-1S), MT-LBs (145), and BRM-1K (12). Wheeled IFV included BTR-60s (100+), BTR-70s (40+), BTR-80s (110), BRDM-2 scout vehicles (120), BTR-152 (?) and GAZ 2975 (4)
Tactical Ballistic Missile Systems of Armenian Army as of 2008-2016.
SCUD-B: 8 launchers, 32 missiles
OTR-21 Tochka: 7-8 launchers, ? missiles
Iskander-E: 4 launchers, ? missiles
Two managers of the Russian military-industrial complex Rosoboronexport have confirmed that four 9K720 Iskander systems were delivered to Armenia per CSTO arms agreement, thus making Armenia the first foreign state to have this Russian missile system.
A Scud battery is typically composed of three TELs, three reloading vehicles, a mobile meteorological unit, one tanker and several command and control trucks. OTR-21 units are usually managed in a brigade structure, with 18 launchers and each launcher provided with 2 or 3 missiles. It would appear therefor that there roughly are 1 Iskander-E battery, and 2 batteries each of SCUD-B and OTR-21 Tochka.