ArmInfo. Regional system of air defense will protect the territory and air space of Armenia only, Deputy Defense Minister of Russia Nikolay Pankov informed at the session of the Council of the Federation Committee on Foreign Affairs answering to question of the Chairperson of the Committee Konstantin Kosachev what will happen in case of regular escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and whether the system will not be used principally or there are some options.
According to Pankov the agreement contains answer to the given question, the agreement functions on the territory and air space of Armenia. In his turn Kosachev noted that Nagorno Karabakh is not part of Armenia that is why the systems of air defense will not be used there.
On December 21 the Committee on Foreign Affairs approved ratification of the agreement between Russia and Armenia on establishing United Regional System of Air Defense in Caucasus region of collective security. The Russian State Duma ratified the document on December 14.
To recall, on October 23, 2015, the Russian Government approved the agreement on creation of a joint air defense system with Armenia in the Caucasus region of collective security. The document was submitted for the Russian President's ratification. The Russian President announced the creation of the air defense system in November 2013. On November 11, Russia's President Vladimir Putin ordered to sign agreement between Russia and Armenia on creating joint air defense system with Armenia in the Caucasus region of collective security. On December 23, 2015, Armenia's Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan and his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu signed an agreement on creation of a joint air defense system with Armenia in the Caucasus region of collective security. Some Armenian military experts think the joint air defense system is already operating, given the presence of the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri, Russian S-300 systems and MiG-29 planes, as well as the joint command system in the North Caucasus.
The document creates a legal basis for joint use of troops in air defense. The agreement envisages creation of the regional system as a constituent part of the integrated system of air defense of CIS member countries.
According to the document the coordination of joint actions of the system and the forces parts of other regional systems is implemented by the Chief Commander of Air-Space Forces of Russian Armed Forces while the joint actions are headed by the commander of troops of the Southern military district of Russia.