Former Defense Minister: Armenia's air defense forces are enough to destroy 200 aircrafts

Armenia's air defense forces are enough for destroying 200 aircrafts, former Defense Minister of Armenia Vagharshak Harutyunyan stated at the press conference on June 16. 

"Thus, taking into consideration that Armenia is able to meet Azerbaijani threats by its own, the integrated Armenian-Russian Air Defense system is first and foremost created against Turkey, which is the main threat for Russia in the region. Obviously, possibility of Georgia or Azerbaijan's aggression against Russia is miserable. Meanwhile, Turkey's military aggression against Russia may be organized through Black Sea or Armenia", the military expert emphasized. 

Harutyunyan thinks that this agreement reduces possibility of Turkey's aggression into Armenia's territory taking into account that in this case Russia, a nuclear superpower and permanent member of UN Security Council, will be involved in the war. He stressed that this may lead to Russia-NATO confrontation, which the USA and Russia try to avoid. 

At the same time the general is assured that these agreements will not involve Armenia in Russia's war against any other country, as the integrated air defense system will be used only in case of aggression against Armenia and Russia. The former minister also thinks that reinforcing Armenia's air defense system and attracting Russia's air defense system on its territory will open real opportunities for strengthening Nagorno-Karabakh's air defense as even being involved in the integrated air defense system Armenia's air defense forces may be used in case of attack on Artsakh.