Armenia
Even before the collapse of the Soviet Union, an ethnopolitical conflict began between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It had long-standing cultural, political and historical roots and flared up during the years of "perestroika". In 1991-1994, this confrontation led to large-scale hostilities for control over Nagorno-Karabakh and some adjacent territories.
During the division of the property of the Soviet Army, Azerbaijan received much more equipment, weapons and ammunition than Armenia, which gave this country serious advantages in the war. In 1992, the Azerbaijani military managed to capture several combat helicopters and a Su-25 attack aircraft, which were immediately used in hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. Initially, the Azerbaijani aviation was opposed by a very weak Armenian air defense, which consisted of six 23-mm twin ZU-23 anti-aircraft guns, four ZSU-23-4 Shilka, four 57-mm S-60 anti-aircraft guns and several Strela-2M MANPADS. The first success of the Armenian air defense forces was achieved on January 28, 1992, when an Azerbaijani Mi-8 was shot down with the help of MANPADS in the conflict zone. During the hostilities during the summer campaign, the qualifications of the Armenian anti-aircraft gunners increased. On June 13, a Su-25 was shot down, which had previously bombed Armenian positions with impunity for 3 months. Armenian television showed the wreckage, among which the keel of the plane with the Azerbaijani flag was visible. The pilot V-g.webp
In August, the air defense forces of Nagorno-Karabakh were reinforced with several dozen MANPADS and a battery of 57-mm S-60 anti-aircraft guns, which almost immediately affected the course of hostilities. Now the Azerbaijani aviation could no longer iron the Armenian fortifications with impunity. In August, the Azerbaijani Air Force lost a Mi-24 combat helicopter and a MiG-25PD interceptor, which was adapted for suspension of bombs. It must be said that the heavy supersonic MiG-25PD was very unsuitable for use as a bomber. There was no aiming bomber equipment on it, and it was relatively effective to strike only in residential areas.
In the cockpit was a former fighter pilot of the 82nd Air Defense IAP Yuri Belichenko, he was shot down during his 16th sortie. The pilot ejected and was captured, after which he was taken to the Ministry of Security of Nagorno-Karabakh, where he was demonstrated at a press conference for foreign journalists as an example of the use of mercenaries by Azerbaijan. In September and October 1992, the Azerbaijani Air Force lost three more aircraft, and were shot down by fire from the ground: Mi-24, MiG-21 and Su-25. In December, Azerbaijanis lost Mi-24 and Su-25 from anti-aircraft fire in the Martuni region. Around the same time, there was a decisive turning point in the war in favor of the Armenians. Azerbaijan's attempts to rectify the situation with the help of aviation were unsuccessful and only led to new losses. In 1993, the air defense forces of Karabakh managed to shoot down a MiG-21 fighter and a Mi-24 combat helicopter. Several more Azerbaijani aircraft were damaged and needed lengthy repairs. In February 1994, accompanied by a Su-24MR scout, an Azerbaijani MiG-21 was shot down over the Vedenis region of Armenia, the pilot was captured. On March 17, in the Stepanakert region, Armenian forces mistakenly shot down a C-130 military transport aircraft of the Iranian Air Force, which was transporting families of Iranian diplomats from Moscow to Tehran. Killed 19 passengers (all women and children) and 13 crew members. On April 23, a group of Azerbaijani aircraft launched a massive missile and bomb attack on Stepanakert, while one Su-25 was shot down.
Large-scale hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh ceased in May 1994, after the conclusion of an armistice by the opposing sides, which, despite individual incidents and skirmishes, is observed to this day.
The Defense Army of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic can be considered part of the armed forces of Armenia. The NKR air defense forces also have Osa-AK and Strela-10 air defense systems, MANPADS and anti-aircraft artillery. The data on the number and combat strength of the NKR air defense forces are contradictory in different sources. Thus, there is information about the presence of S-75, S-125 and S-300PS air defense systems on combat duty in Nagorno-Karabakh, but this raises reasonable doubts. At the same time, in the immediate vicinity of the border with Nagorno-Karabakh, in the vicinity of the Armenian settlements of Goris and Kakhnut, in the positions where the Krug air defense missile systems were previously located, air defense systems were seen, which can be identified on satellite images as S-300PM, which, according to official data not in Armenia.
Satellite image of Google earth: the position of an unknown anti-aircraft missile system in the vicinity of the village of Kahnut
The basis for the creation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia was the weapons and equipment of the 7th Army of the Transcaucasian Military District and the 96th anti-aircraft missile brigade of the 19th Air Defense Army, stationed in the republic. In 1994, Russia began to provide official military assistance to Armenia. Medium-range air defense systems "Krug", mobile complexes of the near zone "Strela-1", "Strela-10" and "Osa-AK", MANPADS "Strela-2M" and "Igla-1" were transferred to the air defense units of the ground forces of Armenia, as well as ZSU-23-4 "Shilka", anti-aircraft guns ZU-23 and S-60. Some of this technology is still in service. As of the end of 2015, the military air defense system had: 9 Osa-AK air defense systems, about 70 Strela-1 and Strela-10, about 40 ZSU-23-4 Shilka and about 100 Igla MANPADS … There are about a hundred 23-mm and 57-mm anti-aircraft guns and 14, 5-mm ZPU.
Until recently, in the western part of Armenia, in the regions bordering with Azerbaijan, three batteries of the Krug air defense missile system were on alert. But at the moment, all complexes of this type have been brought to storage bases and, apparently, are not operational. To replace obsolete and worn out mobile complexes on the Krug tracked chassis, Buk-M2 air defense systems were delivered to Armenia, but their exact number is unknown.
Organizationally, the Air Defense Forces are part of the Armenian Air Force. They include one anti-aircraft missile brigade and two anti-aircraft missile regiments. In the 90s, the republic received from Russia the S-75M3, S-125M and S-300PT air defense systems. According to foreign reference data, taking into account the anti-aircraft systems that are "in storage", there may be up to 100 SAM launchers in Armenia. At the moment, the first generation S-75 anti-aircraft systems have already been removed from service due to the development of the resource of the hardware and missiles. At the same time, two divisions of low-altitude air defense systems S-125M are still on combat duty in the vicinity of Yerevan and on the southern and eastern shores of Lake Sevan, in the regions bordering with Azerbaijan. There is information that the Armenian S-125s have been upgraded in Russia to the level of the S-125-2M "Pechora-2M". At a very low price, the capabilities of the modernized S-125-2M "Pechora-2M" air defense system have increased several times, which made the complex attractive for poor customers from the "Third World" countries and the CIS republics.
The layout of the stationary positions of the air defense missile system and radar station in Armenia
In the vicinity of Yerevan, four air defense missiles are on alert, armed with the towed S-300PT air defense systems. In 2015, information appeared about the planned free transfer of five more S-300PT divisions to the Armenian armed forces. It is envisaged that the S-300PT, previously operated in Russia, will undergo restoration and modernization. Apparently, we are talking about a modification of the S-300PT-1 with the 5V55R missile defense system, which is similar in its combat characteristics to the S-300PS air defense system, but is inferior in mobility and deployment time.
Satellite image of Google earth: the position of the C-300PT air defense missile system in the vicinity of Yerevan
An additional supply of anti-aircraft systems from Russia should take place within the framework of an agreement on the creation of a unified regional air defense system in the Caucasian region of the CSTO. In this case, the Armenian air defense system will be seriously strengthened.
PU SAM S-300PT during military exercises in Armenia in October 2013
From the air defense forces of the USSR of Armenia, in addition to anti-aircraft systems, radars got: P-12, P-14, P-18, P-19, P-35, P-37, P-40 radio altimeters PRV-9, PRV-11, PRV -13. Most of this technology on a tube element base has already been decommissioned. To compensate for the loss of the radar fleet, Armenia received several modern 36D6 radars, which, along with the P-18 and P-37 stations that remained in service, ensure the formation of a radar field over the republic.
In addition to receiving air defense equipment from Russia, certain efforts are being made in Armenia to repair and modernize the air defense systems and radars in service. At the Armenian military-industrial complex enterprises, complete or partial modernization of air defense systems, individual units and components of the P-18, P-19 and P-37 radars, Shilka self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, Strela-10 and Osa-AK air defense systems are carried out. So, for the OSA-AK air defense system, with the help of Russian specialists, a system for digital processing of a radar signal using modern electronic and computer technologies has been created and is being produced.
Fighter MiG-29 taking off from the Erebuni airbase
The Armenian Air Force does not have operational combat aircraft that could be effectively used to protect the airspace. Budgetary constraints do not allow purchasing and maintaining even a minimal fleet of fighters. The air borders of the republic are protected by Russian MiG-29 fighters from the 3624th air base near Yerevan.
Satellite image of Google earth: equipment of the Russian air group in Armenia at the Erebuni airbase.
An air group of 18 MiG-29 fighters (including 2 MiG-29UB) is deployed at the Erebuni airbase. The first Russian MiGs arrived in Armenia in December 1998. The reserves of fuel and aviation weapons have been prepared here and there is an appropriate infrastructure for building up the aviation group if necessary. In the past, the media have repeatedly voiced information about the intention of the Russian Defense Ministry to replace the light MiG-29 with modernized Su-27 or Su-30 fighters with a longer flight duration and better capabilities as an interceptor fighter.
On the territory of Armenia, in accordance with the Treaty on the Legal Status of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the Territory of Armenia dated August 21, 1992, and the Treaty on the Russian military base in the territory of the Republic of Armenia dated March 16, 1995, the 102nd Russian military base was established in Gyumri. During 2006-2007, the headquarters of the Group of Russian Forces in the Transcaucasus (GRVZ), as well as part of the personnel and weapons previously located in Georgia, were transferred here from the territory of Georgia. The base operation agreement was originally concluded for a period of 25 years, and was extended for another 49 years (until 2044) in 2010, with no rent from Russia. As Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov explained, the questions for which the Russian servicemen will be responsible relate to the territory of Armenia, that is, in the event of any military aggression against Armenia, this will be considered as an external threat to Russia. The base was the 127th Motorized Rifle Division of the Transcaucasian Military District. The number of the personnel of the base is about 4,000 people.
SAM S-300V in the vicinity of Gyumri
The direct anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense of the Russian base in Gyumri is carried out by two batteries of S-300V air defense systems (988th anti-aircraft missile regiment). The choice of this system for the defense of a Russian military facility in Armenia is due to the fact that the S-300V has greater capabilities to combat ballistic missiles of operational-tactical complexes compared to the S-300P. At the same time, the fire performance of the S-300V air defense system and the time to replenish ammunition are worse than those of the S-300P modifications, which are mainly designed to combat aerodynamic targets. In addition to long-range air defense systems, the air defense of Russian motorized rifle and tank units is provided by an anti-aircraft battalion, which includes 6 Strela-10 air defense systems and 6 ZSU-23-4 Shilka air defense systems.
Since the 90s of the last century, throughout the entire period of Armenia's existence as an independent state, the socio-political discussion has not stopped in this country about whether the country needs a Russian base, and whether it is not better to seek security guarantees from the United States. However, it should be understood that the relationship with Turkey, which is a regional military superpower, is much more important for the Americans. Refusal to provide the territory of Armenia for the deployment of a Russian military base, of course, will be a nuisance for Russia, but for Armenia it may turn into a national catastrophe. It is unlikely that the Russian military will intervene in the conflict on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, but there is no doubt that they will fight on the side of Yerevan in the event of an attack by Azerbaijan or Turkey on Armenia itself.
In general, the total combat potential of the air defense system of the 102nd Russian military base, Armenia and the NKR, taking into account the available anti-aircraft weapons, fighters and well-trained personnel, so far ensures that a possible strike from the Azerbaijani Air Force is repelled. This is the reason for the low activity of the Azerbaijani military aviation in April 2016 during the clashes on the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh (also known as the "Four-Day War"). During the hostilities, Azerbaijan used armed drones and fire support helicopters on a limited scale. At the same time, the NKR air defense managed to shoot down the Azerbaijani Mi-24. It can be argued with a high degree of confidence that the Azerbaijani side refrains from the widespread use of combat aircraft, fearing serious losses that the air defense forces of Armenia can inflict.
However, the trends are unfavorable, Azerbaijan has much more opportunities for increasing the quantitative and qualitative composition of the Air Force. If you do not take into account the Russian air group at the Erebuni airbase, it already has overwhelming air superiority, which is still compensated by the strong ground air defense of Armenia and Karabakh, as well as by the fact that the S-300V air defense system in Gyumri is on combat duty within the framework of the Joint System Air defense of the CIS. But in the event of an aggravation of the situation and the outbreak of a full-scale conflict, the Russian MiG-29s and the few Armenian Su-25s available in the region will clearly not be enough to suppress the well-equipped air defense system of Azerbaijan. It should also be understood that Azerbaijan has close ties with Turkey, which has the most powerful air force in the region.
In addition, it should be noted that, in general, the air defense forces of Armenia are equipped with outdated equipment and weapons. Most of the combat control systems, radars and anti-aircraft systems were produced back in Soviet times. Of course, refurbishment and modernization, carried out with Russian technical support, can increase the combat potential and extend the service life, but this cannot last indefinitely. In the best case, the S-300PT air defense systems, which form the basis of Armenia's air defense, can be in operation for another 7-10 years. It should be understood that equipment, whose age has exceeded 30 years old, becomes less and less reliable every year. Also very acute is the problem of replenishing the ammunition of anti-aircraft missiles, the production of the 5V55R (V-500R) SAM family for "internal use" was discontinued in the second half of the 90s.
In this regard, in the next few years, the Armenian leadership will have to solve the problem of updating the arsenals of air defense systems. Yerevan today almost does not have its own finances for the purchase of modern weapons, therefore, the equipment received from Russia is mainly transferred on credit or within the framework of cooperation in the CSTO. In particular, in February 2016, Moscow allocated a tied loan of $ 200 million to Yerevan for the purchase of weapons. In the current situation, without Russian military assistance, despite the high morale of the military, Armenia is inevitably doomed to defeat in a serious clash with Azerbaijan, on whose side Turkey is capable of acting. It can be stated that the deployment of the Russian military contingent in Armenia is a stabilizing factor in the region. Moscow provides Yerevan with an "anti-aircraft umbrella", which it has no reason to refuse. Russia is not going to encroach on the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia, no one questions its independence, but ensuring its own security relying on internal forces is inextricably linked with the need to expand and deepen the military alliance with Russia.
