REGIONAL JOINT AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM

New agreement, new opportunities

The regional joint air defense system is a set of forces and air defense systems of Armenia and the Russian Federation, which aims to ensure the protection of the state border of the parties in the airspace, control the use of airspace of the parties, informing the parties about the aerospace situation, and possible air and missile attacks and ensuring the implementation of joint actions of air defense forces in the aerospace attacks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on 10th November gave the nod to the proposal of the Russian government, according to which Russia intends to create with Armenia a regional air defense system.

Recall that in February, 1995, in Almaty between the CIS countries an agreement on the establishment of internetwork CIS air defense system was signed. The current members of this system are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. In 2000, another agreement was signed, according to which on the territory of the Republic of Armenia joint air defense combat duty is still carried out by the divisions of Armenian Armed Forces and by the forces and means of the 102nd Russian military base.

According to the Chief of Staff of the Air Defense Forces, Colonel Garik Movsesyan, “work on the creation of regional joint air defense system began in 2009, and in 2009-2013 it was the active phase of development of the document. I note that the agreement involves the use of air defense only for defense purposes.”

Under the new agreement in the Caucasus region, Armenia will become a separate area of air defense. If necessary, this system will make it possible to use not only available in the 102nd base 4th generation multipurpose fighter MiG-29, air defense missile system S-300, but also the latest tools and weapons of air and missile defense, fighter aircraft.

Chief of Staff of aerospace forces of RF Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Paul Kurachenko confirmed that the signing of the agreement is planned this year.

SHOSHAN STEPANYAN