During a visit to Paris this week, Armenia’s Defense Minister Suren Papikyan met with French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu. During meetings a contract for the procurement of three Thales Ground Master 200 medium range radar systems was signed. the GM200 has a 160 mile range and is based on a AESA 3D radar. Additionally, Papikyan also signed a letter of intent to procure an undisclosed number of MBDA Mistral MANPADS which will supplement the Russian-manufactured Igla and Verba MANPADS currently in Armenian service.
In the wake of continued tensions with Azerbaijan, following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War and the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive that saw the collapse of the Republic of Artsakh, Armenia is looking to modernise its military. During a press conference in Paris, Defense Minister Lecornu said “the protection of the sky is something that’s absolutely key” and said that France would help Armenia train ground defence forces and support modernization efforts. “We stand by our defence relationship [with Armenia], even though we’re not part of the same military and political alliances. It is based on the simple principle that you need to be able to defend yourself,” Lecornu concluded.
In a statement published by the French Ministry of Defense about the Franco-Armenian meetings, the potential for French training of Armenian troops was further outlined:
“In the field of infantry, Sébastien Lecornu raised the possibility of triggering operational training missions on Armenian soil in three departments: dismounted combat, mountain combat and precision shooting. At the same time, Paris is proposing the opening of a military advisor position to best support the Armenian army in its operational strengthening.”