Armenia's arms shift: India and France replace Russia
Armenia, which for years maintained strong ties with Russia and equipped itself with Russian-origin weapons, has started to look in new directions. According to the Unian agency, the Russians are concerned that Moscow has been completely ousted from the Armenian arms market. They openly cite the war in Ukraine as an indirect cause.
The Russian daily "Vedomosti," after reviewing the latest report from the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), indicated that Yerevan signed its last defence contract with Moscow in 2021 (valued at $400 million CAD), which has not yet been fully realized. Since then, Yerevan has allocated significantly larger amounts for purchasing military equipment, but the funds are now directed elsewhere.
Armenia arms itself in India and France
In 2022-2023, Armenia signed defence contracts primarily with India, with a total value exceeding $1.5 billion CAD. As a result, Armenia secured Pinaka missile systems with an approximate calibre of 203 mm, ATAGS artillery systems with a calibre around 152 mm, anti-drone systems, Akash air defence systems, and various types of ammunition.
Armenia's second key partner became one of the NATO powers—France. In 2023—2024, Yerevan signed contracts valued at approximately $250 million CAD. These involved Ground Master 200 radars, short-range Mistral air defence systems, and 155 mm Caesar self-propelled artillery systems, which are gaining increasing interest due to the positive reviews from Ukrainian soldiers.
They used to buy weapons exclusively from Russia
Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) shows that Russia's share in Armenia's arms imports from 2011 to 2020 reached 94 percent. By 2024, it dropped to only 10 percent, as confirmed by Armen Grigoryan, representative of the Security Council of the Republic of Armenia.
The RIAC report indicated that the significant drop in Russia's share in the Armenian arms market is due to delivery difficulties caused by the ongoing military actions in Ukraine.
Russia's potential return to this market is unlikely, especially given the strategic partnership agreement signed by representatives of the United States and Armenia in January 2025.
