Armenia to Arm Itself Intensely: Statement from Moscow

According to the newspaper "Zhamanak", Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan announced in Moscow that Russia will supply the first batch of multifunctional Su-30SM fighters, consisting of four aircraft, to Armenia at the beginning of 2020. Tonoyan also stated that there is a plan to continue the purchase of these aircraft.

Moreover, the minister mentioned that Yerevan has already transferred the first tranche of the aircraft's price, which indicates that Armenia is acquiring them in cash. Tonoyan stated that Armenia has significant plans to acquire new armaments, which will be bought from Russia, and that "we will be arming and rearming ourselves very intensively".

This statement from the Defense Minister undoubtedly aligns with Armenia's new defense policy, which emphasizes the transition from a defensive strategy to an offensive one. This, of course, has substantial geopolitical significance in both deterring the threat of war and in providing an effective backdrop for Armenia's foreign policy.

In turn, it is naturally very important that this backdrop also has a strong economic foundation, and this is where the aspect of cash purchases, though seemingly minor, is a crucial element.

The fact is that this capability endows Armenia with additional sovereignty, and thus additional political flexibility. Of course, it might not be realistic to speak of Armenia having the opportunity for very large cash purchases in the near future, but the type of armament being paid for in cash is also very significant.

Moreover, the Su-30SM multifunctional fighters hold strategic deterrent importance, as they provide Armenia with air superiority capabilities. If, of course, Russia does not sell similar aircraft to Azerbaijan, especially since Russian media had previously published reports suggesting that by selling Su-30SM to Armenia, Russia was trying to push Azerbaijan toward purchasing Su-35 aircraft. This cannot be ruled out, and in order to prevent that on a political level, Armenia's flexibility and sovereignty are essential to present evidence and arguments to Moscow that will keep them from being tempted to arm Azerbaijan while maintaining strategic commitments with Armenia.

For more details, see today’s issue of the newspaper.