Armed Forces of Armenia - Air Defense

Air Defense

The Armenian Air Defense is the anti-aircraft branch of the Armed Forces of Armenia. It was equipped and organized as part of the military reform program of Lieutenant-General Norat Ter-Grigoryants. It consists of an anti-aircraft missile brigade and two regiments armed with 100 anti-aircraft complexes of various models and modifications, including the SA-8, Krug, S-75, S-125, SA-7, SA-10, SA-13, SA-16 and SA-18. Russia has SA-6 and S-300 long range surface-to-air missiles at the Russian 102nd Military Base. There are also 24 Scud ballistic missiles with eight launchers. Numerical strength is estimated at about 3,000 servicemen, with plans for further expansion.

In late December 2010, the Armenian Defense Minister, Seyran Ohanyan, officially acknowledged that the army are equipped with the Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missiles. The statement was made while the Minister was inspecting a new air-defense command point that maintains “state-of-the-art equipment" built specifically for the operation of the S-300s. Russian specialists had begun training their Armenian counterparts in 2005 in the use of the sophisticated missile systems. Speaking to Radio Free Europe's Armenian service, Defense Ministry spokesman David Karapetyan confirmed that the Armenian army now has S-300s in its missile arsenal. He declined to specify their number and dates of delivery.