New Delhi: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen. Anil Chauhan is in Armenia on a four-day official visit during which the focus is on deepening defence cooperation that has seen Yerevan turning to New Delhi for military modernisation.
Gen. Chauhan reached Armenia on 1 Feb, along with a defence delegation and he will be meeting both the civil and military leadership in Armenia.
He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Nikol Pashinvan.
Sources in the defence and security establishment explained that the focus is on strengthening defence cooperation and bilateral ties.
Asked which are the areas where the two sides can work on, the sources listed surveillance, space, cyber, strategic communication, defence systems and training.
Responding to a query on what Armenia is looking to procure from India, the sources explained that the visit is exactly to understand what the country wants and what India can offer.
Over the past few years, as ThePrint reported multiple times, Armenia has procured a large number of defence equipment from India, including two types of artillery guns, multi-barrel rocket launchers, air defence system, sniper rifles, weapons locating radars, munitions, anti-drone weapons, among others.
As reported, Armenia has reached out to India for possible procurement of Indian missiles, including the indigenous beyond visual range Astra air-to-air missile and possible upgrade of their Sukhoi 30s.
Armenia has emerged as a key defence export destination for India. While the US imports parts from India, Armenia imports full systems.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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