Expansion of Military-Technical Cooperation Framework and Signing of Over 30 Contracts: Report

Armenia has expanded its military-technical cooperation framework and signed over 30 contracts in the process of modernizing its weapons and military equipment and acquiring new samples last year. This information is stated in the report on the implementation progress and results of the Government Program of the Republic of Armenia (2021-2026) for 2022.

The report notes that extensive work is being carried out in the direction of army reforms. Specifically, in 2022, structural changes were made to the Armed Forces and the General Staff units of Armenia, a bonus was established for contract servicemen, and a process for certification was set up, which is expected to lead to a doubling of servicemen's salaries. A new procedure for transferring from mandatory military service to contract military service was established through the implementation of the "Defender of the Homeland" program.

Additionally, contract servicemen who finished a military educational institution and were assigned to officer positions in the system of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia or in the border troops of the National Security Service have been granted the right to use housing free of charge, and later, the right to own the property outright. The scope of training sessions has been expanded, the structure of training sessions has been reformed, and work has continued on the implementation of the "IP" communication system.

The report also indicates that the military-technical cooperation framework has been expanded to facilitate the modernization of weapons and military equipment and the acquisition of new samples, resulting in the signing of over 30 contracts. Necessary systems, engineering, construction, training, and other means have been acquired for the proper organization of the protection of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border section of the state border.

The Armenian Armed Forces' aviation has been replenished with modern multifunctional helicopters designed for air assault, fire support, transport, and medical evacuation tasks. The installation of surveillance systems has continued, integrating them into a common network and connecting them to the operational management center of the Armenian Armed Forces.

A ceremony was held for the opening of the "Zar" training center of the Peacekeeping Brigade of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, which was renovated with the support of the United States. The program for the ideological education of the national defender has been activated, and all servicemen who applied to participate in the mortgage loan program have been included in the targeted mortgage financing program.

Until July 1, 2022, servicemen who entered and graduated from military educational institutions and were assigned to officer positions were granted the right to be prioritized in the mortgage financing program for a period of 5 years after completing their education (by December 2022, 917 servicemen had acquired housing or residential houses through this program).

The report also mentions that work has been carried out to improve the conditions of permanent deployment points and barracks of military units, and construction work has been carried out for the permanent deployment locations of military subdivisions in various communities. Plans have been developed to expand the involvement of women in the army, which will soon be presented to the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia in the form of legislative initiatives.

It is emphasized in the report that other reforms are also being carried out within the framework of army reforms, along with engineering and technical work.