Several Observations: Abrahamyan on Replacing Conscripts with Contract Soldiers at the Front Line

Following discussions at the General Staff regarding the gradual replacement of conscript soldiers with contract soldiers at the front line, several observations were made. This was shared on Facebook by MP Tigran Abrahamyan.

“First, the gradual increase of contract personnel in the armed forces has been a priority issue over the past two decades, with the number of contract soldiers rising every year.

Second, it may create an impression that this step is being taken because conscript soldiers are not effectively carrying out combat duty. From my professional experience, studies conducted in the Defense Army have shown that conscript soldiers are not only effective during combat duty but also while performing other combat tasks. During various military operations, including repelling diversions and the combat actions of 2016 and 2020, many conscripts performed heroically in different episodes of the war.

Thus, the question here should not be about mechanically replacing conscripts with contract soldiers to increase efficiency, but about implementing models where conscripts in their positions and contract personnel in theirs will be maximally effective.

The issue is not that I am against a significant increase in the number of contract soldiers on the front line; rather, I believe that for combat duty and enhancing troop combat readiness, comprehensive measures are required. Otherwise, the system may not operate or may function at lower efficiency.

Third, when it is mentioned that conscript personnel are to be gradually pulled back from the front line, there is an implication regarding their security. From this perspective: a) Maximum security must be ensured not only for conscripts but also for contract personnel, including the command staff in combat positions. b) From the standpoint of individual security today, it is quite relative to assess the positions of various forces permanently stationed at the front line or 5, 10, 15 km back, such as command posts, firing points, etc. In various situations, the rear can be significantly more vulnerable than the front line. The wars of 2016 and 2020 have proven this. Especially during the 44-day war, for instance, many times in the rear, deep in the rear, Azerbaijan carried out much more dangerous strikes than in the defense sections of various military units.

In this regard, saying that excluding conscripts from the combat duty in infantry units resolves security issues is, to put it mildly, very far from reality. Any changes in the armed forces must be viewed in the context of systemic changes because any uncalculated program or change may work in its link but damage the normal operation of other links.