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Armenia’s Defence Deep-Tech Landscape and India
Context:
Situated at the crossroads of Russia, Iran, and Türkiye, Armenia embodies the complexities of the contemporary multipolar world order.
More on News:
- As relations with its traditional security guarantor, Russia, deteriorate, and border tensions persist following conflicts with Türkiye-backed Azerbaijan and the loss of its exclave Artsakh in 2023,
- Armenia is seeking to diversify its international partnerships. Yerevan is strengthening ties with countries like the United States, France, Iran, and India to bolster its security and economic resilience.
Factors for India-Armenia Partnership:
Armenia’s partnership with India is particularly significant, driven by three immediate factors.
- Potential Ally: India offers robust potential as a defence and security ally.
- Deep-Tech Ecosystem: Armenia is fostering a burgeoning defence deep-tech ecosystem, involving both governmental and private sectors.
- Strategic Alignment: Yerevan and New Delhi share strategic alignment on regional security issues, including concerns over a Türkiye-Pakistan security nexus and its implications for Armenian territorial integrity, as well as risks to regional connectivity projects.
Background:
- Soviet Legacy: Armenia’s defence ecosystem has its roots in its role as the scientific and engineering hub of the Soviet Union.
- From World War II onward, the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) leveraged its intellectual traditions, natural resources, and strategic location to become an industrial and technological powerhouse.
- By the 1950s, Armenian engineering institutes were among the USSR’s finest, pioneering advances in computer science, electronics, and nuclear energy.
- Notable achievements include the development of the Aragats, Nairi, and Razdan computers, as well as contributions to Soviet space technology, exemplified by Alexander Kemurdzhian’s design of the Lunokhod lunar rovers.
- Collapse of Soviet Union: Although the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991 curtailed funding for Armenian innovation, the industrial infrastructure and expertise from this era persisted.
- Post-Soviet Conflicts: Armenia’s wars with Azerbaijan have highlighted its strategic vulnerabilities as a small, landlocked nation bordered by hostile neighbours.
- The 2016 Four-Day War and subsequent conflicts in 2020 and 2023 over Nagorno-Karabakh exposed the limitations of Armenia’s reliance on external security guarantees, particularly from Russia.
- These conflicts underscored the need for a domestic defence ecosystem to reduce dependence on external suppliers.
- Armenia-American Relations: The deterioration of Armenia-Russia relations, especially following Moscow’s alignment with Azerbaijan, has spurred Yerevan to accelerate the development of its defence sector.
- This effort has included expanding defence industrial facilities and fostering a business environment conducive to innovation in defence technology.
Current Landscape:
- Dual Approach: Armenia has adopted a dual approach of diversifying its security partnerships and fostering indigenous defence capabilities.
- Following its withdrawal from the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in mid-2024, Armenia has sought to scale up relations with nations like France, India, and the United States.
- Advanced Technologies: Armenian defence startups are prioritising advanced technologies such as loitering munitions, autonomous and semi-autonomous weapon platforms, and UAVs—capabilities that were critical in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts.
- Increased defence budgets, diaspora support, and partnerships with countries like India and France have facilitated the rapid emergence of a domestic design and manufacturing base.
- Exploration: Looking ahead, Armenia aims to expand into areas like space weaponry, semiconductors, and dual-use electronics, presenting significant opportunities for collaboration with global partners, including India.
Implications for India:
- Opportunities: India-Armenia relations have grown steadily, with defence cooperation forming a key pillar.
- India has supplied Armenia with Swathi weapon-locating radars, Pinaka rocket systems, and Akash surface-to-air missiles.
- Armenia views India as an ideal partner for integrating Russian and Western defence technologies, given New Delhi’s success in balancing its relationships with both blocs.
- Armenia’s quest to reduce reliance on Russia while modernising its defence sector aligns with India’s interests in expanding its global defence footprint.
- Challenges: Armenia’s strained relations with Israel, a close Indian ally, could complicate bilateral cooperation.
- Moreover, concerns about security vulnerabilities—such as espionage incidents—underscore the need for robust counterintelligence mechanisms.
- Additionally, trade barriers and regulatory challenges in India’s defence sector could hinder the seamless integration of Armenian technologies and expertise into Indian markets.
Recommendations:
- Strengthen Intelligence Collaboration: Establish robust intelligence-sharing frameworks to build mutual trust and secure sensitive defence technologies.
- This could involve direct liaison with Armenia’s newly established Foreign Intelligence Service (FIS).
- Promote R&D Exchanges: Expand state-sponsored educational and research collaborations to enhance interoperability in science and technology, focusing on dual-use technologies like AI and semiconductors.
- Explore Emerging Technologies: Establish joint initiatives to develop cutting-edge technologies, such as space surveillance and autonomous systems. Collaborative frameworks similar to India’s agreements with the US and UK could guide such efforts.
- Pursue Multilateral Engagement: Create minilateral platforms involving Armenia, India, and like-minded partners (e.g., France or Saudi Arabia) to foster technological exchange and strengthen regional influence.
