After Pinaka rockets, Armenia buys Indian anti-drone system -   eurasiantimes

ArmInfo. After importing rocket launchers and missiles from India, Armenia is now importing an  anti-drone system from its South Asian friend. This has come when the conflict-ravaged country is keen to learn from India on how to modernize Soviet-era defense equipment, eurasiantimes writes.

According to the source, " Even as a fragile peace holds between the  Caucasian countries, New Delhi is contemplating the supply of a fresh  batch of military equipment to Armenia.

People who did not wish to be identified said Armenia has contracted  to buy India-developed Zen Anti-Drone System (ZADS). The Indian Air  Force (IAF) purchased this anti-drone system in 2021, and the Indian  Army has ordered 20 units of C-UAS worth INR 2.27 billion (US$27.3  million). Delivery of the C-UAS to the Indian Army will commence in  March 2024.

Officials who did not wish to be identified confirmed to the EurAsian  Times that Armenia has contracted the Hyderabad-based Zen  Technologies for INR340 crore (US$41.5 million) for the anti-drone  system order that includes both training solutions and an anti-drone  system.

"The Zen Technologies Anti-Drone System is a proven technology,  having been inducted in the IAF and now the Indian Army opting for  it. And Armenia realizes that once Indian armed forces induct it, it  must be good," the source said.

The anti-drone system from Zen Technologies works on drone detection,  classification, and tracking of passive surveillance, camera sensors,  and threat neutralization through jamming drone communication.  Zen  Anti-Drone System, a Counter Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS), is a  multi-layer multi-sensor Architecture that provides comprehensive  security against drone attacks.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict heralded the arrival of drones on the  modern-day battlefield, with Armenia acknowledging that the Turkish  Bayrakter TB-2 had made the difference, forcing them to concede  defeat.  The Bayraktar TB2, developed and manufactured by Baykar, a  Turkish defense company, is the size of a small airplane and equipped  with four laser-guided missiles. It has an endurance of 12 hours when  operating 550 nautical miles from its base. This allows it to be  'eyes in the sky' for long periods.

Zen Technologies Limited announced that at the board meeting held on  October 28, 2023, it approved the establishment of a Branch office in  Armenia to tap the business opportunity in that country, including  providing sales, support, and service.

Armenia, a small landlocked nation nestled in the South Caucasus  region of Eurasia, has emerged as a strategic partner for India. In  2022, when India inked the deal to supply PINAKA multi-barrel rocket  launchers (MBRL), anti-tank munitions, and ammunition worth US$250  million to Armenia, it was seen as New Delhi taking a position in the  conflict. It was the first export of PINAKA by India.

Armenia opted for Pinaka MBRLs, considered at par with the American  HIMARs, for its shoot and scoot capability.  The mobility is an  advantage as adversary Azerbaijan has been deploying drones,  including suicide drones.  While India has not confirmed publicly  that it is supplying the Akash SAM system to Armenia, Bharat Dynamics  Limited (BDL) did announce it has received export orders from a  friendly country.

The weapons purchased by Armenia have proven to be "very  satisfactory," the chairman of Armenia's parliamentary committee on  defense and security affairs, Andranik Kocharyan, recently stated  without naming India.

"Our news media, our people are discussing all day long what weapons  were brought, from what country, where it was tested. The relevant  division of the defense ministry is also testing this weaponry, and  the tests are very satisfactory," said Kocharyan.

"The list of the countries is that which is being discussed, perhaps  a bit more or less. That's not what matters; what matters is that the  work in that direction is proceeding successfully."

Burgeoning India-Armenia Defense Ties: A top Armenian security  official and Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Armen  Grigoryan, visited New Delhi on August 28 to meet with Indian Prime  Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. In  light of this, it is said that India is contemplating the supply of a  fresh batch of military equipment to Armenia.  In 2022, India stepped  up as a defense supplier to Armenia, embroiled in a protracted  conflict with Azerbaijan.  The first consignment of weapons was  delivered last year via Iran.

Armenia, reports the Economic Times, is keen to modernize its  military arsenal, primarily of Soviet and Russian origin. The country  wants to learn how to upgrade Soviet and Russian equipment in its  inventory and integrate it with the Western system.

The dialogue with India is not just about procurement but also about  potential joint ventures for local assembly of equipment and training  facilities for Armenian officers.  "India possesses several Soviet  and Russian-made defense equipment. It has successfully modernized  Soviet and Russian-era defense items. This is very impressive,"  Colonel Zhiriayar Amirkhanian, assistant to the chief of defense  staff, was quoted by the Economic Times. "We in Armenia have several  Soviet and Russian-designed equipment, and we want to learn from  India's experience."

Armenia is apprehensive that Azerbaijan may take advantage of chaos  and conflicts in other parts of the globe and launch a fresh military  assault against Armenia.  France has also announced to send military  aid to Armenia, the beleaguered country seeking to diversify its arms  imports and find new allies after Russia failed to provide the nation  with ordered weapons worth around US $400 million (it has not yet  returned the money)," they note.