SOUTH CAUCASIAN PARTNERSHIP: RUSSIA AND ARMENIA ESTABLISH A UNIFIED AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM

WPS Agency
April 20, 2009 Monday
Russia

Problems of security in the South Caucasus and especially in the
zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are entering the group of most
pressing and actively debated problems in the post-Soviet space. This
is manifested by results of the meeting of the council of defense
ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member
states held in Yerevan last week. Foreign ministers of the CSTO member
states understand reality of the military threats existing in the
Trans-Caucasian region very well and the related need for strengthening
of collective defense. These issues were discussed in Yerevan among
the others like memorandum on cooperation between the secretariats
of the CSTO and UN, as well as the problem of Afghanistan. Official
spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Andrei Nesterenko,
reports that now CSTO countries are working on establishment of a
group of united military systems including such united system in the
field of air defense being the most important. Nesterenko adds that
"it is planned to establish an integrated air defense system in the
CSTO format by 2015." In any case, in the Transcaucasian region this
system will start working very soon.

Evidently, it was no accident that Armenia decided to guard the
airspace together with Russia after Belarus. Nesterenko says that now
Russia is coordinating the normative documents with representatives
of the armed forces of Armenia and are working out unified rules
of combat duty. The diplomat says that in general it is planned to
accomplish the formation of the unified regional air defense group of
collective security in the Caucasian region by the end of 2010. How
necessary is this structure in Transcaucasia and will it be efficient?

This is no idle question. It is connected with the remaining threat
of starting hostilities between Baku and Yerevan about the disputable
territories controlled by the armed forces of Nagorno-Karabakh and
Armenian troops for almost 15 years. President of Azerbaijan Ilkham
Aliev spoke about a need to solve this problem once again at a meeting
with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Aliev visited Moscow last
week. Russian authorities understand that it is necessary to solve the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem by a peaceful way, although it is impossible
to rule out that with support of the new US Administration in the
person of Barack Obama Enhanced Coverage LinkingBarack Obama -Search
using: Biographies Plus News News, Most Recent 60 Days Azerbaijan may
try to organize forceful actions for liberation of the territory that
it considers belonging to it. In this case it will be very difficult
for Moscow who is an ally of Armenia to remain neutral. Along with
this, the termination of good neighborly relations with Baku may
provoke aid to it on the part of the interested NATO member states
and the US. Obama Enhanced Coverage LinkingObama -Search using:
Biographies Plus News News, Most Recent 60 Days needs a Caucasian war
to gain a foothold in this region and to have an additional bridgehead
for influence with an unfriendly Iran.

Moscow has evidently determined its stance in this aspect and will,
of course, support Armenia informally. It understands very well that
the most efficient aid to Yerevan in the military aspects will be
connected with establishment of unified integrated defense systems
(ground and military space ones). Thus, answering a question about
a need for integration of air defense forces of Russia and Armenia,
former commander of the Russian Air Force Army General Vladimir
Mikhailov reported that "the unified regional air defense system of
Russia and Armenia being created will provide for a unified technically
coordinated system of air defense objects by the provision of unified
command over this system. In case of the use of the unified system,
the territory of Belarus or Armenia becomes a friendly territory
for the Russian military. Correspondingly, in case of trespassing
of airspace of these countries by air force of the third country
Russian Air Force and Air Defense Forces will react to this as at a
trespassing of the Russian airspace with the relevant consequences
for the third party." In turn, incumbent Air Force commander of Russia
Colonel General, Alexander Zelin, also speaks about prospects of this
system. Zelin remarks, "Practice has shown that special limitation
of use of the air defense forces on duty of the national air defense
systems in the regions of collective security is becoming a requirement
of contemporary time."

The joint Armenian-Russian group of forces, the united air defense
system and the joint combat duty already exist on the territory of
Armenia. In accordance with the agreement signed on March 16 of 2000,
air defense forces of the Armenian army and the 988th air defense
missile regiment and the 426th aviation group of the 102nd military
base of the group of Russian forces in Transcaucasia participate in
the joint combat duty. Experts point out that troops of the joint air
defense system of Russia and Armenia work according to the scheme
worked out during the period of existence of the USSR, which means
joint control over airspace in the southern direction with use of
aviation and air defense missile units. However, the conflict in
South Ossetia has evidently made corrections to activities of the
Russian Air Defense Forces that watch the air force of the Georgian
aggressor now. In turn, Armenian air defense forces are concentrated on
the border with Azerbaijan. Thus, formation of joint Armenian-Russian
military units will contribute to further strengthening of the borders
of the CSTO member states and to the protection of Russia’s interests
in this region.

Information

According to open sources, the air defense forces of Armenia include
air defense missile and electronic reconnaissance units ( an air
defense missile brigade, two air defense missile regiments, a separate
electronic reconnaissance brigade) armed with 55 launchers of various
missile models made in Russia and USSR (Krug, Osa, S-125, S-75 and
S-60). The group of Russian Air Defense Forces on the territory of
Armenia includes the air base in Erebuni airport in Yerevan (the 3624th
air base, the 426th aviation group, the 520th aviation commandant’s
office), as well as the 988th air defense missile regiment based in
Gyumri within the 102nd military base (the 127th mechanized infantry
division). MiG-29 fighters and air defense missile systems S-300V
are deployed there.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress