Armenia to purchase SU-30 fighter jets from Russia

Seyran Ohanuyan, Minister of Defense, confirmed the reports that a recent Armenian-Russian inter-governmental session focused on plans for purchasing SU-30 fighter jets from Russia.

Summing up his agency’s 2015 achievements, the minister said that the Armed Forces’ development plan envisages proportional efforts towards developing new weapons and buying new supplies.

The minister repeated his earlier statement that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), of which Armenia is a member, is of crucial importance for the country in terms of neutralizing threats from Turkey.

“We are annually increasing our capacities – in terms of both prompt deployment and mobilization readiness,” he added.

Asked about the Ministry’s risk estimates in light of the Turkish-Kurdish clashes close Armenia’s border, Ohanyan replied, “First, as part of the military strategic revision, we have estimated all the security threats, considering also the developments in the neighboring state – on our border. We are carrying out the planning in collaboration with the National Security Service and other bodies.”