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ARMENIA EYES MORE SOPHISTICATED RUSSIAN MISSILES
Sargis Harutyunyan, Emil Danielyan
Armenialiberty.org
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24314049.html
Aug 31 2011
Armenia is adequately protected by S-300 air-defense systems but may
have even more sophisticated Russian surface-to-air missiles deployed
on its territory in the near future, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian
said late on Tuesday.
Ohanian referred to the Russian-made S-400 Triumf systems that were
developed a decade ago and have a firing range of up to 400 kilometers.
"Every year we enhance the capacity, the amount of our weaponry and
military hardware," he told journalists. "Especially the air-defense
system is modernized every year, and those S-300 systems which we
have are today at the ready and capable of accomplishing tasks set
for them."
"I don't exclude that one day S-400s will be deployed in the territory
of the Republic of Armenia and accomplish tasks coordinated with us,"
Ohanian said after inspecting Armenian frontline troops in the northern
Tavush province bordering Azerbaijan.
The minister appeared to suggest that the new systems would be first
delivered to a Russian military base stationed in Armenia. The base
was beefed up with S-300s in the late 1990s.
Armenia - A screenshot of state television footage of Armenian troops
test-firing S-300 surface-to-air missiles.
Moscow subsequently transferred the long-range missile systems to
the Armenian military. The latter officially confirmed possession of
such systems in late December, with Armenian state television showing
footage of S-300 batteries test-firing missiles in an undisclosed
location.
One such battery can simultaneously track up to 100 targets, including
both aircraft and cruise missiles, and shoot down a dozen of them
at a range of up to 200 kilometers. These characteristics make S-300
one of the world's most potent anti-aircraft weapons.
Russia announced last week that it will stop production of the S-300
series and increasingly equip its armed forces with S-400s as well
as the next generation of air-defense systems known as S-500.
Under a new Russian-Armenian defense agreement signed one year ago,
Moscow is to help Yerevan obtain "modern and compatible weaponry and
(special) military hardware." The agreement also extended the Russian
troop presence in the South Caucasus country by 24 years, until 2044.
Speaking to RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) in February,
Ohanian said that Armenia acquired "unprecedented" quantities of
modern weaponry last year and will continue the military build-up in
2011. He refused to give any details of the arms acquisitions.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Sargis Harutyunyan, Emil Danielyan
Armenialiberty.org
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24314049.html
Aug 31 2011
Armenia is adequately protected by S-300 air-defense systems but may
have even more sophisticated Russian surface-to-air missiles deployed
on its territory in the near future, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian
said late on Tuesday.
Ohanian referred to the Russian-made S-400 Triumf systems that were
developed a decade ago and have a firing range of up to 400 kilometers.
"Every year we enhance the capacity, the amount of our weaponry and
military hardware," he told journalists. "Especially the air-defense
system is modernized every year, and those S-300 systems which we
have are today at the ready and capable of accomplishing tasks set
for them."
"I don't exclude that one day S-400s will be deployed in the territory
of the Republic of Armenia and accomplish tasks coordinated with us,"
Ohanian said after inspecting Armenian frontline troops in the northern
Tavush province bordering Azerbaijan.
The minister appeared to suggest that the new systems would be first
delivered to a Russian military base stationed in Armenia. The base
was beefed up with S-300s in the late 1990s.
Armenia - A screenshot of state television footage of Armenian troops
test-firing S-300 surface-to-air missiles.
Moscow subsequently transferred the long-range missile systems to
the Armenian military. The latter officially confirmed possession of
such systems in late December, with Armenian state television showing
footage of S-300 batteries test-firing missiles in an undisclosed
location.
One such battery can simultaneously track up to 100 targets, including
both aircraft and cruise missiles, and shoot down a dozen of them
at a range of up to 200 kilometers. These characteristics make S-300
one of the world's most potent anti-aircraft weapons.
Russia announced last week that it will stop production of the S-300
series and increasingly equip its armed forces with S-400s as well
as the next generation of air-defense systems known as S-500.
Under a new Russian-Armenian defense agreement signed one year ago,
Moscow is to help Yerevan obtain "modern and compatible weaponry and
(special) military hardware." The agreement also extended the Russian
troop presence in the South Caucasus country by 24 years, until 2044.
Speaking to RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) in February,
Ohanian said that Armenia acquired "unprecedented" quantities of
modern weaponry last year and will continue the military build-up in
2011. He refused to give any details of the arms acquisitions.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress