Military expert: Armenian Armed Forces` New Arms Purchase to  strengthen balance of forces with Azerbaijan

ArmInfo. The new acquisitions of the Armenian Armed Forces for new credit facilities from Russia will strengthen the balance of power with Azerbaijan. This opinion  was expressed to  ArmInfo by the chief editor of the publication "National Defense", director of the Center for Analysis of the World Trade in Arms, a member of the Public Council under the Ministry of Defense of Russia Igor Korotchenko.

In accordance with the credit agreement of the governments of Armenia  and Russia, a loan of $ 100 million is granted for 20 years, of which  5 years - under preferential 3% per annum. Armenia will co-finance a  loan in the amount of 10% of the total cost of the agreement.

According to the intermediate program of defense spending for  2018-2020. Armenia plans to increase the defense budget annually by $  60 million to increase military spending by 4% of GDP. At present,  Armenia's military expenditures are about 3.6% of GDP or about $ 450  million.

"The balance of power between Armenia and Azerbaijan has already been  secured, however, the new Russian loan will satisfy the needs of the  Armenian army for systems capable of strategic deterrence of the  enemy." These are operational and tactical missile systems, multiple  rocket launchers, communication systems, and reconnaissance, "the  expert said. 

According to Korotchenko, in case of effective strategic planning of  the Armenian Armed Forces, the next Russian loan will be enough to  realize these goals.

According to the first Armenian-Russian agreement on granting Armenia  a loan of $ 200 million, the Armed Forces of the Republic purchased  rocket launchers 9K58 Smerch SAM Igla-S, passive radio technical  reconnaissance Avtobaza-M, flamethrower systems TOS-1A Solntsek ,  armored vehicles , anti-tank missile systems Competition-M,  antitank grenade launchers RPG-26, small arms, engines and sights for  tanks T-72 and BMP, communications equipment, engineering equipment,  KamAZ.

The agreement on granting a loan on preferential terms - to start a  loan with a 3% rate Yerevan will start only in 2018 in rubles for 10  years, and an advance payment of only 10% was concluded in 2015.   According to Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan, deliveries  under the first loan of $ 200 million will be completed by the end of  2017.