ArmInfo. One of the priorities of the Armenian Armed Forces today is the replenishment of the Armed Forces with modern weapons, military equipment and material and technical means necessary for the army based on the introduction of modern principles and systems of military command and control, as well as the establishment of new criteria for enhancing combat skills.
This is stated in the vision of Armenian Defense Minister David Tonoyan regarding the development of the army in the context of the government program, where he singled out seven priority tasks for implementation in the foreseeable future.
"Here our ultimate goal is to bring the army's combat readiness to the highest level, to contain and suppress military encroachment on Armenia, and in the event of war - the formation of the necessary facilities for suppressing hostilities at an early stage and stopping them in favor of interests of Republic of Armenia, the number one task for us is the creation of favorable military conditions for the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict. We will not allow the enemy to speak with us from the position of strength and pursued maximalist goals," the document says, and in this context it is added that any destructive manifestation on the border, whether saboteur penetration, sniper fire, change of positions, accumulation of forces for scale aggression - will receive a sharp and sobering response. According to him, for this, the Armenian side will continue to consistently develop the combat capabilities of the Armed Forces and suppress the enemy at the right time, in the right place and in the right format. Tonoyan stressed that the task has already been set and work is underway.
The Defense Minister stressed that the long-term process of modernization of the Armed Forces will include all spheres of military power. "Of course, it is important to replenish the Armenian Armed Forces with modern weapons, and in this direction we will work with both allies and partner countries and within the framework of the development of the domestic military industry. Our military-technical and military- industrial policy is primarily focused on the range, accuracy and effectiveness of impact, for which it is envisaged to continue replenishing the army with the most up-to-date ultra-precise types of weapons, such as long-range missiles, artillery, as well as a multifunctional aircraft," said Tonoyan.
He stressed that the priority task of the AF is the modernization of the system and management culture. The Minister of Defense believes that this system should have sufficient efficiency, vitality, mobility and technological equipment for conducting modern military operations, and to accomplish this task, in addition to technical solutions, the principle "Instruction through coaching" will continue, the essence of which is to give subordinates the necessary resources, strength and means, prudent instruction and trust, and then they will find the best solution to the problems and most importantly, will do it more quickly than if the decision is made for all, without knowledge of certain nuances regarding the responsibility of each of the commanders. "Equally important are methods and varieties of warfare, that is, the modernization of military art and the formation of opportunities for decentralized actions, the harmonization of the preparation of the Armed Forces to the nature of possible hostilities, and, of course, the priority of pursuing a policy of encouraging investments and creating joint ventures in the military-industrial complex by improving tax and administrative procedures, attracting foreign investment and creating joint ventures through stat, private and international cooperation", the document says.
It is noted that the Ministry of Defense will promote the creation of appropriate production facilities, the development of research and applied science, and the increase in the scientific and technical potential of the state defense order for the development, production, operation, maintenance and modernization of weapons and military equipment in a short period of time.
The second priority task Tonoyan considers permanent equipping of frontline with modern technical means and increasing the efficiency of accomplishing combat missions. On the one hand, the Armenian Armed Forces must maximize the detection of sniper fire attempts, saboteur penetration, elimination of firing points, and on the other - the degree of defense and shelter, as well as concealment of personnel. The head of the Armenian Defense Ministry believes that in this context the main task is to improve the conditions for combat duty and increase the security of personnel, which can be achieved through the introduction on the frontline of various technical equipment that allow early detection of attempts to sabotage, his movement, and increase security of personnel - that is, a step-by-step replacement of static defense to flexible.
The next task for Tonoyan is to significantly improve the quality and effectiveness of the work carried out with personnel. According to him, the ultimate goal is to strengthen the level of moral and psychological training and discipline in the Armed Forces, ensure human rights in the army, reduce to minimum the hazing and minimize suicide attempts, self injuring, humiliation of servicemen, increase their awareness to ensure compliance with rights in the Armed Forces, as well as transparency during the course of official investigations.
The fourth priority task according to the vision of the Minister of Defense is to ensure the continuation of the education of servicemen throughout the whole service. "We must consistently work to raise the level of education and raise the intellectual level of the military man as the most important direction of the development strategy of the Armed Forces. Our final goal is the formation in the army of new ethical standards of military professionalism and morality that will enhance the image of the country's armed forces," he said, while adding that the personnel policy will also be changed, and civilians will be enlisted in the ranks of the Armed Forces.
"The fifth priority is the proper and full material provision of servicemen. We must guarantee the protection of the rights of all servicemen and the proper provision of logistical and medical support. Our task is to improve the qualitative and quantitative indicators of material and food security for servicemen. The Ministry of Defense will develop a package of proposals to improve the relevant standards, which will be submitted for consideration in the government." he said.
The sixth priority for Tonoyan is to increase the level of social protection of servicemen, the implementation of housing programs, medical assistance projects, etc. The priority task is the implementation of comprehensive programs of social support for former servicemen and civilians, military disabled, family members of the killed and the missing persons, the transformation of the military health system from rendering first aid on the battlefield to hospitalization, and providing quality treatment in the hospital. According to him, the development of a long-term program for mortgage lending to servicemen on preferential terms "Affordable housing for servicemen" is already being finalized, the issue of increasing the money allowance for the military is also at the center of attention.
The final, the seventh task for Tonoyan is to strengthen the procedures for expanding opportunities in the current international integration and collective security. "The ultimate goal is the development of military- political alliances and partnerships while ensuring balance in the formation of relations taking into account the interests of Armenia and the existing military-political unions. We are not in a political vacuum with our enemy, but surrounded by societies and states that sometimes have different agendas," the minister said. He added that Armenia's successes in ensuring external security depend on how correctly it can make decisions in the maelstrom of these international relations. Tonoyan stressed that the priority task of the Armenian side is to develop allied and partner cooperation in the field of defense, to take steps to diversify the content of the geographical picture, to promote international cooperation in the multilateral and bilateral aspects of military-political relations.