Author: Elchin Alioglu
Source: Trend
Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, Edward Asryan, was on a business trip to the United States. According to the information of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, E. Asryan’s visit is connected with participation in the annual arms exhibition, but this seems to be only an external reason. In fact, this visit should be evaluated as a part of the rapidly developing US-Armenia military cooperation in recent years.
Within the framework of E. Asryan’s visit, he met with Mike Miller, the director of the US Defense Cooperation Agency, Brigadier General Allen Pepper, the commander of security of the US army, and Tressa Genov, the deputy secretary of defense for international security. The ongoing defense cooperation between Armenia and the United States, future programs and regional security issues were discussed at the meetings.
On October 16, Edward Asryan had a meeting with General Charles Brown, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. The parties exchanged views on issues of interest and it was emphasized that the US will continue to support Armenia in the field of defense. At the same time, the importance of ensuring the continuity of joint military measures was noted. The regional security issues were also in focus at the meetings.
Armenia’s policy of integration with the West has been going on for some time. However, in the last two years, a new trend has emerged in this direction – earlier political and diplomatic relations were preferred, but in recent times, great progress has been observed in the field of military cooperation.
Washington’s policy that can create tension in the South Caucasus does not serve stability in the region and increases the likelihood of new military conflicts.
During the last two years, the relations between the Ministry of Defense of Armenia and the Pentagon have intensified significantly. Representatives of the Armenian army periodically visit the Pentagon and the headquarters of the US forces in Europe, while high-ranking American military personnel often visit Yerevan. The main goal of this cooperation is to rebuild the Armenian army, which suffered heavy losses in the 44-day war, in accordance with NATO standards. For this purpose, the Pentagon has appointed its adviser to the Ministry of Defense of Armenia. This adviser works closely with the Pentagon and the US Embassy in Yerevan.
In addition, military exercises have become regular in recent times. For example, the “Eagle Partner 2024” exercises held in the vicinity of Yerevan from July 15 to 24 took place with the participation of the Armenian army, the European and African ground troops of the United States, as well as the National Guard of the state of Kansas. Although the goal of the exercises was initially announced as improving cooperation in international peacekeeping missions, representatives of the US European Command later announced that during the exercises, soldiers were trained to fight against mass riots.
Before these exercises, US Assistant Secretary of State James O’Brien said that Washington is ready to deepen cooperation with Armenia in the military and security fields.
The USA openly declares that supporting Armenia in these areas aims to weaken Russia’s influence in the region. Over the past two years, relations between the Pentagon and the Ministry of Defense of Armenia have significantly strengthened.
So far, there are no official sources confirming that US defense companies have signed contracts for the direct supply of weapons to Armenia. But experts believe that the support of the United States is not limited to conducting joint exercises or organizing training courses for the Armenian military. In fact, this cooperation has a deeper nature and the goal is to turn Armenia into a military and political support point of the United States in the South Caucasus.
Washington’s policy aimed at creating border lines in this region does not ensure stability, but rather increases the possibility of new conflicts. This situation, of course, causes concern for Baku and Moscow, because this policy is perceived as a serious threat to the interests of both countries. Although the parties in this process act with different interests and goals.
The topic of military-technical cooperation between the United States and Armenia has been attracting more and more attention in recent years. This cooperation has important points not only in the political and economic framework, but also in the strategic military field. In recent years, the military assistance of the United States to Armenia and its role in the modernization of the Armenian army have led to serious strategic changes in the Caucasus region. In this article, the US military support to Armenia, its technical equipment and the geopolitical consequences of this cooperation will be examined in detail.
Military-technical cooperation between the United States and Armenia began in the 1990s, shortly after Armenia gained independence. At the beginning, this cooperation was mainly in the framework of peace missions and humanitarian aid. However, in recent decades, US military aid to Armenia, including financial support and supply of technical equipment, has increased significantly.
The US is trying to modernize the Armenian army and adapt it to NATO standards within the framework of its military assistance. For example, in 2021, the US Department of Defense allocated $35 million in funding to provide training programs, technical advisory services, and modern military equipment to the Armenian army. In addition, in 2022, the US ambassador to Armenia, Lynn Tracy, stated that “the US is very interested in ensuring regional stability in Armenia, and in this regard, support to the Armed Forces of Armenia is important.”
US military support to Armenia is carried out in the following directions:
Technical supplies: the USA sends modern military equipment and weapon systems to Armenia. These weapon systems mainly include communication equipment, defense equipment and electronic intelligence systems.
Exercises: The US military conducts joint exercises with the Armenian army. In these exercises, combat and defense tactics according to NATO standards are taught.
Financial support: Every year certain financial assistance is allocated for Armenia by the US Congress. For example, the financial assistance allocated to Armenia in 2023 amounted to 45 million dollars.
Justifying this aid, the US government notes that the military strengthening of Armenia is important for maintaining balance and ensuring peace in the region. This approach is especially important against the background of ongoing tensions in the South Caucasus.
Different experts evaluate the US military support to Armenia in different ways. For example, political scientist Richard Kirakosyan calls the US-Armenia military cooperation a “strategic partnership” and notes that “Armenia is a strategic location for the US in the South Caucasus, the interests and influence of the US are growing in this region.
At the same time, former Defense Minister of Armenia David Tonoyan said that “cooperation with the USA is an important step in the modernization of the Armenian army and ensuring security in the region.”
Against the background of military cooperation between the USA and Armenia, Armenia’s economic relations with other countries, especially with Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are noteworthy. In the first 8 months of 2024, Armenia’s trade turnover with Russia doubled to 9 billion dollars. However, during this period, Armenian exports to Russia decreased by 19.5% to 1.9 billion dollars, while imports from Russia increased 3.6 times to 7.2 billion dollars. These figures show that Armenia maintains strong trade relations with Russia, but a serious imbalance has arisen in the trade balance with Russia.
At the same time, Armenia’s trade turnover with the UAE increased 6.8 times in January-August 2024 and reached 4.35 billion dollars. The main noteworthy point here is that Armenia’s export to the UAE amounted to 4.31 billion dollars, while its import was only 304 million dollars. This indicator shows that the products exported from Armenia to the UAE, especially precious metals (gold and diamonds), are important.
Armenia has become one of the main transit countries in this sector while Russia’s diamond sector has remained outside of Western sanctions. In 2023, diamond exports from Russia amounted to 3.7 billion dollars, 30% of which fell to the UAE. Russia’s acting as a “transmission” point for diamond exports in Armenia during this period has formed a new trade route to avoid the sanctions of the United States and the European Union. This route provided both economic and strategic advantage to Armenia.
US military assistance to Armenia and the modernization of the Armenian army increase US interests in the Caucasus region and restore the strategic balance here. At the same time, Armenia’s expanding economic relations with Russia and the UAE show that Armenia serves various interests within the framework of military cooperation with its trade partners. This situation has a significant impact on both the internal politics of Armenia and the geopolitical dynamics of the region.