ARMENIAN SKIES SECURLY PROTECTED

It is no secret that in the modern battles, the decisive blow is delivered by the air force, and the ones who prevent and stop the air strikes are the anti-aircraft troops, the guardians of the peaceful sky.

… The air defense forces in Armenia were formed after independence. Col Ashot Fanyan is one of those who is among the peioneers of this type of troops. Since 1993, he is in the Armenian Armed Forces, a participant in military operations.

In the 1990s, the Azerbaijani air force bombed Armenian settlements and military bases without getting any retaliation. Our newly independent country did not yet have the forces to resist military aviation, and the creation of an air defense system was an imperative. In the fall of 1992 the Armed Forces Air Defense Forces Department was formed, and then the first air defense military units were formed. The reservists who served in the relevant units of the Soviet Army were drafted into the army, and the field was replenished with capable graduates of technical universities.

Our specialists regulated the fire and reconnaissance means of air defense that Armenia inherited after the collapse of the USSR, in a very short period of time. With the existing potential, after the repair, they were brought to a combat-ready state, and with the help of the newly established air defense units, it became possible to stop the enemy’s air attacks. The enemy’s first helicopter was soon hit. In June 1992, the enemy’s SU-25 plane was hit by a Shilka anti-aircraft gun near Askeran. The air domination of the enemy in the sky was over …

After the ceasefire, the Armenian Air Defense Forces, like other newly formed troops, went through continuous development, modernization and repair. Over the years, it has been remarkable to equip the troops with modern air defense SRT, including domestic production.

Q: Mr. Fanyan, each military operation is also a unique “test” of the given military type. During the four-day war, the air force did its job with honor, forcing the enemy to abandon further use of aircraft. In the very first days of April, two Azeri helicopters were downed.

A: During that period, the enemy used another tactic, using strike drones, before that it used them mainly for reconnaissance purposes. After losing more than 15 droens, Azerbaijan stopped air strikes.

After the April four-day war, the fight against drones became one of the priorities of the air defense.

Today, the peace of our sky is maintained by S-300, S-125, KUB, Osa-AK, IGLA-S and other means of air defense. One of the latest achievements is the modern TOR-M2 anti-aircraft missile systems, which can automatically fight against any type of air attack, including high-precision ones.

Q: In order to effectively prevent and counteract the enemy’s air undertakings, it is necessary to have accurate information about its air resources. In recent years, Azerbaijan has acquired many Israeli and Turkish droens. Together with these countries they also arranged their own drone production.

A: The Armenian Armed Forces are constantly studying the military equipment that has shown the best results in the region and the world, as well as all possible options that have succeeded in counteracting it. I have to say it with pride. We have made significant progress in the domestic military industry. Recently, appropriate equipment has been developed that allow the target with an area of ​​up to 0.1 square meters to be detected and accompanied with great accuracy at a distance of up to 20-25 km.

Q: Recently, the Azeri Orbiter-3 drone, which crossed the Artsakh air border, was hit by the anti-aircraft forces of the Defense Army.

A: I would like to emphasize that our units stand out with their exceptional professionalism. Armenia is the only country in the world whose air defense units are able to hit a drone with this particular type of weapon. We have no shortage of knowledgeable staff.

By ALISA ALAVERDYAN

Photo by SURIK HOVSEPYAN