New Delhi/Yerevan : Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh held a meeting with Deputy Minister of Defence of Armenia Karen Brutyan in Yerevan on August 18, reviewing the entire spectrum of India-Armenia defence cooperation.
The discussions covered key areas including capacity building, training, defence industrial cooperation, and research and development (R&D).
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral defence ties while advancing mutual security and strategic autonomy.
The meeting underlined the growing defence partnership between India and Armenia and the shared interest of both countries in expanding cooperation across training, defence technology and industrial collaboration.
India and Armenia have significantly strengthened their defence and military-technical cooperation in recent years. The partnership has expanded from diplomatic engagement to defence equipment, military training, capacity building, technology and defence-industrial cooperation.
Key areas of cooperation
- Defence equipment: Armenia has emerged as an important customer for Indian defence products, including Pinaka multiple-launch rocket systems, Akash air-defence systems, ATAGS artillery guns and Swathi weapon-locating radars.
- Military training and capacity building: The two countries are expanding cooperation in military education, training, combat exercises and exchange of expertise. Their 2026 cooperation programme includes high-level visits, military education, military-technical cooperation and exercises.
- Defence industry and R&D: India and Armenia are exploring greater cooperation in defence-industrial development, including joint initiatives, research and development and potential production or integration of Indian-origin systems.
- Strategic autonomy: Both countries place importance on strategic autonomy and multilateralism, creating a strong basis for closer defence cooperation. India’s role has also grown as Armenia diversifies its defence procurement.
Recent developments in 2026
The relationship has gained further momentum this year. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan visited Armenia in February 2026, where he held discussions on defence cooperation and inaugurated facilities aimed at strengthening military education and technological capabilities.
In April, Armenia’s First Deputy Defence Minister and Chief of the General Staff Lt Gen Edvard Asryan visited India and held talks with senior Indian military officials on expanding bilateral defence cooperation and exploring joint military hardware development.
More recently, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh visited Armenia in August 2026. During his meetings with Armenian officials, both sides reviewed cooperation in areas such as capacity building, training, defence industry and R&D. India and Armenia have also signed an MoU to further strengthen cooperation in the defence sector.
Why the partnership is important
For Armenia, India provides an additional source of modern military equipment and technology as Yerevan seeks to diversify its defence procurement.
For India, Armenia is an important defence partner in the South Caucasus and a significant market for India’s growing indigenous defence industry. The partnership also supports India’s broader objective of expanding defence exports and international defence-industrial cooperation.
In short, India-Armenia defence relations are evolving from an arms-supply relationship into a broader strategic partnership covering defence technology, training, R&D, industrial cooperation and capacity building.