Armenia, India discuss defense cooperation

ArmInfo.  Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan met with Indian Defense Secretary  Rajesh Kumar Singh. The latter is in Armenia on an official visit.

"We discussed issues related to Armenian-Indian defense cooperation,  including military-technical cooperation," Papikyan wrote on his  social media.

Earlier, Indian media  reported that Armenia is among the top three  largest buyers of Indian defense products, along with the United  States and France.

Over the past four years, Armenia has signed several deals with India  for the purchase of missiles, artillery pieces, missile systems,  radars, body armor, and night vision devices, as well as a wide range  of ammunition and artillery shells. Moreover, Armenia became the  first foreign buyer of the Indian-developed Akash air defense system.

In late September 2022, Armenia signed a contract worth over $250  million to purchase weapons from India, including Indian-made Pinaka  214mm multiple launch rocket systems and rockets for them,  unspecified anti-tank missile systems, and various ammunition. And  already in the fall of 2023, Indian Defence Research Wing reported  that in early August, the Indian defense company Bharat Forge LTD  delivered six ATAGS towed 155mm howitzers to Armenia under a contract  worth $155.5 million. The deal envisages the delivery of 90 artillery  pieces of this type to Armenia over three years.