Armenia to Set Up UAV Laboratories: When and Where the First One Will Open

In June, the first "Armat" laboratory will open at the Monte Melkonyan Military School in Dilijan, where young people aged 15-18 will learn how to build UAVs. This information was shared by Raffi Keshishyan, Executive Director of the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises, in an interview with Sputnik Armenia.

“The educational program through which the courses will be conducted has been revised and modernized, and the equipment has also been updated. We have already retrained 12 group leaders,” he stated.

According to him, the first batch of equipment has already arrived in Armenia. If they meet the necessary requirements, a larger batch will be imported; they plan to open 7-8 similar laboratories in the next three months.

“The ‘Armat’ laboratories will mainly open in regional centers and large cities of Armenia, but they will also be accessible to students from nearby communities,” Keshishyan noted.

The first eight laboratories of the program will be opened thanks to donations from the private sector, including the Karen Vardanyan Foundation, various individuals, and organizations. The authors of the project are currently discussing the issue of receiving financial support from the government for the remaining laboratories.

It should be noted that the ‘Armat’ school laboratories have been opened in Armenia since 2011 with the support of the Union and sectoral enterprises. The laboratories teach the fundamentals of programming as well as engineering (robotics, plastic, wood, and metal processing). Currently, several hundred such laboratories are already operating in Armenia, Artsakh, and Javakhk. As part of international cooperation, the program is also implemented in India, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia.