Armenia’s army to continue acquiring advanced weaponry, defence minister says

JAMnews

Yerevan

Armenia defence minister’s end-of-year press conference for 2025

“Armenia’s army will continue to equip itself with the latest technology,” Defence Minister Suren Papikyan said. He did not provide details about specific weapons purchases. He said deliveries follow a pre-approved five-year plan and proposals from the General Staff.

“At the same time, the fact that we are acquiring the latest technology, including modern weapons that meet Nato standards, does not mean we have abandoned the equipment we already have,” Papikyan said. “The weapons that remain in our arsenal also have value. That is why it is important to modernise them as well.”

At a press conference reviewing the results of 2025, the defence minister described the past year as “highly effective”. He said the defence sector recorded significant progress. Spending totalled 664bn drams ($1.7bn).

For comparison, Papikyan noted that defence spending in 2018, before the so-called Velvet Revolution and the current government’s rise to power, stood at 245bn drams ($644.7m). He said this was almost three times lower.

Key takeaways from the defence minister’s press conference.

‘We will not enter an arms race with any country‘

Suren Papikyan said Armenia will not abandon the development of its defence capabilities, the procurement of advanced weapons and military equipment, or the modernisation of the armed forces.

At the same time, he stressed that the government rejects an arms race.

“We do not intend to enter a race with any country, including Azerbaijan,” he said.

‘Azerbaijani troops will withdraw from Armenia’s sovereign territory’

Journalists asked the minister when and how Azerbaijani military units would withdraw from the country’s sovereign territory. Papikyan said the withdrawal would take place as a result of the ongoing delimitation and demarcation of the border with Azerbaijan.

“This is the government’s position,” said Suren Papikyan. “This decision will ensure long-term peace in our region,” he added, referring to Armenia.

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‘Deaths in the armed forces down by 40%‘

According to Suren Papikyan, the number of deaths in the armed forces fell by 40% compared with 2024. In 2025, authorities recorded 30 deaths.

He said 24 of them occurred in circumstances unrelated to military service. These included road accidents and illness. Only six deaths happened while personnel were on duty.

“One death was caused by a lightning strike, another by electrocution,” he said. “There were two cases of suicide or incitement to suicide. Two others involved pre-existing health problems. These figures do not concern conscripts only. They include servicemen from different age groups.”

The defence minister also said the armed forces recorded no killings linked to hazing or violations of military regulations last year. He contrasted this with 2024, when such cases occurred frequently. Papikyan added that the military continues to implement measures to improve discipline.

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Under the amendments to the criminal code approved by parliament, evading the 25-day military training can now result in penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment. Social media reactions

‘Cutting the length of compulsory military service is a key decision‘

Young men conscripted after 1 January 2026 will serve 18 months instead of the previous two years. The opposition says the move serves as a pre-election step ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for June. The ruling team firmly rejects this claim.

“Reducing the length of conscription to 18 months is one of the key and turning points in the history of the republic,” said Suren Papikyan.

The defence minister said the shorter service period will not reduce the size of the army. He explained that the authorities will increase the number of contract soldiers at the same time. He said this approach will transform Armenia’s army into a professional force.

Papikyan added that the government had already included this step in its 2021–2026 programme. He said defence reforms made the change possible.

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Most people in the country support the defence ministry’s plan, seeing it as a step towards building a professional army. Experts, however, also view it in the context of the upcoming elections

‘I dismissed defence ministry officials whose sons hold foreign citizenship‘

Commenting on cases of draft evasion, Suren Papikyan said the defence ministry continues to take steps to prevent them. He said the authorities are even developing legislative initiatives to address the problem. He added that officials regularly review the list of medical conditions that exempt conscripts from service.

The minister said cases remain common in which parents secure foreign citizenship for their children to exempt them from military service.

Papikyan said he dismissed staff members of his ministry whose sons hold citizenship of another country.

“Given the presumption of innocence, I cannot take the same approach with employees whose children were exempted from service on medical grounds,” he said. “But a seed of doubt remains, and it makes me pay closer attention to them.”