A week ago, the Indian media wrote about Armenia's interest in Indian weaponry, in particular drones, but not only.

This is not the first time Armenia has shown interest in Indian military hardware. In 2020, the country signed a $40 million deal with India for the supply of four SWATHI radars to detect the location of weapons. Since then, Armenia's defense needs have grown exponentially. "The war in Karabakh has forced us to rethink our defense needs," said an Armenian official who wished to remain unnamed.

"India is Russia's biggest arms buyer. Now what happens: Armenia, bypassing its ally Russia, buys weapons from India? Let's say you can buy weapons from Russia for 1 ruble, but no, you buy them from India for 10 rubles," former chief of Armenian Armed Forces Staff, Lieutenant General Norat Ter-Grigoryants told NEWS.am.

He did not rule out that New Delhi may have something cheaper than Russia. The general is convinced that Armenia will never buy arms from any other country at less cost than from Russia.

"Under the CSTO system, everything costs Yerevan incomparably less. Then why do we have to go where it costs more?" the military leader wondered.

On the other hand, Ter-Grigoryants reminded that Moscow itself bought MLRS from China several years ago. "If India has weapons that are better than NATO's or Russia's, and they meet the required parameters, then why not buy them if you have money? Right now it's commerce," he said.

Against this background Ter-Grigoryants mentioned the fact that Azerbaijan bought the rockets from Armenia's ally in the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Belarus, that Baku used to destroy kindergartens in Karabakh, as remarkable.

"The purchase of SU-30SM aircraft by Armenia even before the 44-day war was initially doubtful, and none took off during the fighting. It is necessary to think what to buy and for what purpose. It is necessary to buy weapons that meet modern requirements of the armed struggle and meet the art of strategy and tactics.

It is most expedient to have a swarm of drones in different directions, but the planes stand idle. Armenia does not even have enough fuel to fuel its aircraft. Yerevan gets its fuel from Iran, and if this direction, as well as Marneuli, is closed, that will be the end.

That's why if Yerevan thinks about purchasing UAVs from India, it's another matter," said the General.

He said, Russia also possesses powerful unmanned aerial vehicles, but they are not as well advertised as their foreign analogues.

As for cooperation with India, the former Chief of General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces reminded of the assistance rendered to Azerbaijan by the only country with nuclear weapons in the Muslim world and India's traditional rival - Pakistan.

"Besides, up to 3000 mercenaries from Syria fought on the side of Baku, Turkey and Israel helped. The whole world knows about it," Norat Ter-Grigoryants noted.

Therefore, he urged Yerevan to actively cooperate also with allied Iran, which is the closest to Armenia.

"Georgia is governed by Turkey, and Russia has no common border with Armenia. Iran is not friends with the Turks and declares that the Armenian-Iranian border of Armenia cannot be changed. And this is very serious. All this was against Turkey and Azerbaijan, which closely cooperates with Israel," the general concluded.

Aram Danielyan