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Armenia Eyes More Sophisticated Russian Missiles

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  • Armenia Eyes More Sophisticated Russian Missiles

    ARMENIA EYES MORE SOPHISTICATED RUSSIAN MISSILES
    Sargis Harutyunyan, Emil Danielyan

    Armenialiberty.org
    http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24314049.html
    Aug 31 2011

    Armenia is adequately protected by S-300 air-defense systems but may
    have even more sophisticated Russian surface-to-air missiles deployed
    on its territory in the near future, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian
    said late on Tuesday.

    Ohanian referred to the Russian-made S-400 Triumf systems that were
    developed a decade ago and have a firing range of up to 400 kilometers.

    "Every year we enhance the capacity, the amount of our weaponry and
    military hardware," he told journalists. "Especially the air-defense
    system is modernized every year, and those S-300 systems which we
    have are today at the ready and capable of accomplishing tasks set
    for them."

    "I don't exclude that one day S-400s will be deployed in the territory
    of the Republic of Armenia and accomplish tasks coordinated with us,"
    Ohanian said after inspecting Armenian frontline troops in the northern
    Tavush province bordering Azerbaijan.

    The minister appeared to suggest that the new systems would be first
    delivered to a Russian military base stationed in Armenia. The base
    was beefed up with S-300s in the late 1990s.

    Armenia - A screenshot of state television footage of Armenian troops
    test-firing S-300 surface-to-air missiles.

    Moscow subsequently transferred the long-range missile systems to
    the Armenian military. The latter officially confirmed possession of
    such systems in late December, with Armenian state television showing
    footage of S-300 batteries test-firing missiles in an undisclosed
    location.

    One such battery can simultaneously track up to 100 targets, including
    both aircraft and cruise missiles, and shoot down a dozen of them
    at a range of up to 200 kilometers. These characteristics make S-300
    one of the world's most potent anti-aircraft weapons.

    Russia announced last week that it will stop production of the S-300
    series and increasingly equip its armed forces with S-400s as well
    as the next generation of air-defense systems known as S-500.

    Under a new Russian-Armenian defense agreement signed one year ago,
    Moscow is to help Yerevan obtain "modern and compatible weaponry and
    (special) military hardware." The agreement also extended the Russian
    troop presence in the South Caucasus country by 24 years, until 2044.

    Speaking to RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) in February,
    Ohanian said that Armenia acquired "unprecedented" quantities of
    modern weaponry last year and will continue the military build-up in
    2011. He refused to give any details of the arms acquisitions.



    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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