RUSSIA TO MODERNIZE ARMENIA BASE
By Emil Danielyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Feb 14 2007

Russia plans to modernize the weaponry and other equipment of its
troops stationed in Armenia, a top Russian military official said on
Wednesday at the start of a three-day visit to his country’s closest
regional ally.

General Vladimir Mikhaylov, commander-in-chief of the Russian Air
Force, said Moscow is already repairing technical facilities as part
of a "gradual re-equipment" of its military base headquartered in
the Armenian city of Gyumri. The Russian military intends to supply
it with new equipment, he told reporters in Yerevan, refusing to go
into details.

Mikhaylov’s comments will likely be welcomed by official Yerevan which
regards the Russian military presence as a key element of Armenia’s
national security doctrine. As recently as in late December, Defense
Minister Serzh Sarkisian expressed hope that the Russian base will be
modernized this year with "the most modern weapons." Sarkisian said
he will be "twice as happy" if some of those weapons are transferred
to the Armenian army.

The Gyumri base has already been boosted with some of the hardware
belonging to Russian troops that are being pulled out of neighboring
Georgia. The transfer was completed late last year amid protests
from Azerbaijan.

Mikhaylov arrived in Yerevan to preside over an annual meeting of the
air defense chiefs of Russia, Armenia and four other ex-Soviet states
making up the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The
meeting will be followed by the inauguration of the newly upgraded
Russian-Armenian system of air defense which was launched almost
eight years ago.

Mikhaylov’s deputy, Lieutenant-General Aytech Bizhev, revealed recently
that Russia helped to modernize Armenia’s anti-aircraft capabilities
last year. He said Armenian specialists will now be able to operate
the Russian S-300 missile systems that were deployed in Armenia in
the late 1990s.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress