India and Armenia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 17 August 2026 in Yerevan to cooperate in research, development, innovation and shared production in the defence industry. The agreement was signed during Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh’s two day official visit to Armenia from 17 to 18 August. It marks a shift in the bilateral defence relationship from a simple buyer seller model to joint technology development and industrial partnership.
What Does the New Defence MoU Cover?
The MoU was signed between the Ministry of Defence of India and the Ministry of High-Tech Industry of Armenia. On the Armenian side, the meeting was hosted by Minister Davit Tadevosyan, and the document was signed by Aram Jivanyan, Acting Chairman of the Military-Industrial Committee of the Ministry of High-Tech Industry, and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.
According to both ministries, the MoU is titled “Cooperation in Research, Development, Innovation and Shared Production in the Defence Industry”. The official wording used is shared production, rather than joint or co-production, and no specific weapon system has been named for production yet. The focus is on creating a framework that allows the two sides to work together on future systems.
The agreement outlines several areas of cooperation. These include implementing joint research, development and innovation projects, developing defence technology startups and incubators, and running programmes for exchange of expertise and training of industry professionals. The sides also agreed to strengthen institutional links and build partnerships between Indian defence firms and Armenian companies, with further steps to ensure practical implementation of the agreed projects.
The Ministry of Defence said the MoU reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to expand bilateral defence industrial cooperation in areas of mutual interest and to deepen overall defence ties.
Behind the Visit: Key Meetings in Yerevan
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh arrived in Yerevan on 16 August and was received by India’s Ambassador to Armenia Nilakshi Saha Sinha along with senior Armenian defence officials. His visit on 17 and 18 August involved a series of high level meetings covering almost the entire spectrum of defence cooperation.
On 17 August, he called on Armenian Defence Minister Suren Papikyan. Both sides explored new avenues to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation and reaffirmed their shared commitment to elevate the India-Armenia defence partnership. The same day, he also met the Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Edvard Asryan, where discussions focused on defence industrial cooperation and defence research and development.
On 18 August, Singh visited the Vazgen Sargsyan Military Academy, named after Armenia’s former defence minister and prime minister. There he reviewed the IT Lab established with India’s support, was briefed on weapon systems supplied by India, and highlighted capacity building and training as key pillars of the partnership. He also held talks with Deputy Defence Minister Karen Brutyan and Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan, where the expanding defence partnership and Armenia’s diversification of defence procurement were discussed.
Two institutional steps were also taken during the visit. The two sides exchanged the Terms of Reference for institutionalising Joint Services Staff Talks between the Indian and Armenian Armed Forces, a move aimed at creating regular military to military dialogue across the Army, Navy and Air Force. The visit followed a high level Armenian military delegation’s trip to New Delhi in April 2026, when Lt Gen Asryan met Singh and also held talks with Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on defence cooperation, training and modernisation.
From Buyer-Seller to Co-Creators: Evolution of Defence Ties
India and Armenia established diplomatic relations in 1992, after Armenia became independent following the breakup of the Soviet Union. For the first two decades, the defence relationship was limited, with small scale consultations and training exchanges. A formal push began around 2011 to 2013, when security consultation agreements were discussed, and in 2017 an Armenian defence delegation visited India to discuss military technical cooperation including education and mountain training.
The real turning point came in 2020. That year, Armenia signed a contract for four Swathi Weapon Locating Radars worth about $40 million. The deal was significant because Armenia chose the Indian system, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), over competing offers from Russia and Poland. The radar can scan a radius of 50 kilometres, track multiple incoming artillery, mortar and rocket shells simultaneously, and pinpoint the enemy gun position for counter battery fire. It was India’s first major defence export success story under the Make in India initiative.
Since then, the partnership has grown rapidly. Between 2020 and 2024, Armenia has emerged as the largest export destination for Indian defence equipment by value and range. Estimates of total contracts vary from $2 billion to $3 billion, covering radars, rocket artillery, air defence, artillery guns, ammunition and anti-drone systems. The appointment of a defence attaché by Armenia in New Delhi in May 2023 and the posting of an Indian military attaché in Yerevan in April 2024 further institutionalised the relationship.
The Arsenal India Has Supplied
| System | Supplier and Developer | Key Feature | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swathi Weapon Locating Radar | DRDO and BEL | Tracks incoming artillery and locates enemy guns within 50 km | 4 radars delivered from 2021, operational in conflict zones |
| Akash-1S Air Defence System | DRDO and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) | Medium range surface to air missile with 25 km range, can hit fighters, drones and guided missiles, 360 degree engagement | Armenia became first foreign buyer in 2022, deal worth about $720 million for 15 systems, deliveries began in 2024 |
| Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher | DRDO, Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited and Munitions India Limited | Fires salvo of 12 rockets in 44 seconds, variants with range from 37.5 km to 75 km for guided version, high accuracy within 60 metres | 4 batteries ordered in 2022 worth about ₹2,000 crore, deliveries began July 2023, first consignment of Guided Pinaka rockets flagged off from Nagpur in January 2026 by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh |
| Counter-Drone and Anti-Drone Systems | Zen Technologies and other firms | Detects, tracks and neutralises hostile drones | Supplied to protect bases and critical assets |
| Artillery Guns and Ammunition | Kalyani Strategic Systems, Bharat Forge | Includes MArG 155mm self propelled howitzer, Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), 155mm towed guns, Konkurs anti tank missiles, mortars and grenades | Part of growing portfolio, with orders like $155 million artillery deal in 2024 |
These systems together give Armenia capabilities across surveillance, air defence, counter battery operations and long range strikes. For India, the exports serve as a showcase for 96 percent indigenous content in Akash and the broader defence manufacturing ecosystem that now supplies to more than 90 countries.
Why Armenia Is Turning to India
Armenia is a landlocked country in the South Caucasus, located in West Asia on the Armenian Highland between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. It is bordered by Georgia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, Iran to the south and Turkey to the west, with its capital at Yerevan on the Hrazdan River. The country covers about 29,800 square kilometres and has a population of around 3 million.
For decades after independence, Armenia depended heavily on Russia for arms. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia accounted for 93 to 94 percent of Armenia’s major arms imports from 2011 to 2020. Armenia is also a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), a Russia led military alliance, and hosts a Russian military base at Gyumri.
That dependence has become a vulnerability. After the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, where Azerbaijan made deep territorial gains, Armenia felt that Russia had not provided adequate support. Following Russia’s full scale operation in Ukraine from 2022, Moscow struggled to meet export commitments and even delayed supplies. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in 2024 that Armenia could no longer rely on Russia as its main defence partner.
The result has been a deliberate diversification strategy. Armenia’s National Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan said in September 2024 that Russia’s share in Armenia’s military technical cooperation had fallen from 96 percent to about 10 percent in three to four years. Yerevan has turned to India and France as new partners. France now supplies radar systems, Bastion armoured vehicles and CAESAR self propelled howitzers, while India has provided more than 52 percent of Armenia’s arms by volume between 2020 and 2023.
Beyond supply security, Indian systems are attractive because both countries have long operated Soviet and Russian origin equipment. This makes integration, training and maintenance easier for Armenian forces transitioning away from a single supplier.
Why This Partnership Matters for India
For India, Armenia is far more than a customer. It is a proving ground for Make in India defence systems and a gateway to new markets.
First, Armenia gives India a credible foreign reference. When a foreign army successfully operates Swathi, Akash and Pinaka in real field conditions, it adds credibility for other potential buyers in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America. Akash’s export was cleared by the Union Cabinet in December 2020, and Armenia’s order helped convert that approval into a real world deployment. Bharat Dynamics Limited recorded its highest ever export order of $255.4 million for surface to air missiles in that period.
Second, it strengthens India’s defence industrial base. Defence exports rose to around ₹13,000 crore in 2021-22, with 70 percent from the private sector, and grew again by 78 percent in the first quarter of 2024-25 to ₹6,915 crore. Deals with Armenia support factories like BEL in Bengaluru, BDL in Hyderabad and Solar Industries in Nagpur, and help sustain supply chains that include many Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Third, the new MoU moves India up the value chain. Instead of only selling finished products, India will now cooperate on research, startups, incubators and shared production. This model helps India retain long term influence, creates joint intellectual property, and aligns with its goal of building a $26 billion defence industry by 2025 under Make in India.
The Wider Geopolitical Context
The partnership plays out against a complex South Caucasus landscape.
On one side is the Turkey-Azerbaijan-Pakistan axis. The three countries signed a Trilateral Ministers Agreement in 2017 and later the Islamabad Declaration in 2021, pledging closer security cooperation. During the 2020 war, Turkey provided drones, advisers and political backing to Azerbaijan, while Pakistan’s longstanding non recognition of Armenia and support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue linked the Caucasus rivalry with the Kashmir dispute. Azerbaijan has also expanded its arsenal with Chinese JF-17 fighter jets sourced via Pakistan.
India’s response has been to build its own geometry. New Delhi has cultivated trilateral formats with Armenia and Iran, holding the second India-Iran-Armenia Trilateral Consultations in New Delhi in December 2024, focused on connectivity, trade and regional developments. India also sees Armenia’s links with France, Greece and Cyprus, who held trilateral defence consultations in Athens in December 2024, as part of a broader network of like minded partners.
For Armenia, balancing is crucial. It remains formally in the CSTO and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) but has suspended participation in CSTO exercises, and is seeking European Union ties, including two €30 million non lethal assistance packages under the European Peace Facility and cooperation with the European Security and Defence College. At the same time, it values Iran as a neighbour and India as a reliable supplier that does not attach political conditions. New Delhi’s approach, which emphasises preserving the regional balance of power rather than escalating tensions, fits that need.
The diversification also has economic angles. India is negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with the EAEU, where Armenia is a member, and sees Yerevan as a potential node for connectivity to European and Eurasian markets through the International North South Transport Corridor vision.
The Way Forward
The August 2026 MoU sets the framework, but its value will be judged by implementation. Key next steps to watch are the identification of specific joint projects, whether they involve drones, missile upgrades or artillery modernisation, and how the startups and incubators mechanism will fund and link Indian and Armenian firms.
Armenia has expressed interest in further Indian systems, including the Astra beyond visual range air to air missile and upgrades for its four Su-30SM fighter jets with modern avionics, radars and weapons like Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW). The research and development track opened by the MoU could shape those discussions.
For the partnership to deepen, training and capacity building will remain central. Regular Joint Services Staff Talks, continued use of the IT Lab at the Military Academy, and mountain warfare and artillery training exchanges, such as the Armenian delegation’s visit to the School of Artillery in Nashik, Maharashtra, will be essential to ensure Armenian personnel can operate and maintain new systems effectively.
If the startup and shared production model succeeds, it could become a template for how India scales its defence partnerships beyond traditional sales, combining industrial cooperation with strategic presence in Eurasia.
Key Takeaways
- India and Armenia signed an MoU on “Cooperation in Research, Development, Innovation and Shared Production in the Defence Industry” on 17 August 2026 in Yerevan during Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh’s visit.
- The MoU was signed between India’s Ministry of Defence and Armenia’s Ministry of High-Tech Industry represented by Minister Davit Tadevosyan, and signed by Aram Jivanyan and Rajesh Kumar Singh.
- The agreement covers joint research projects, defence technology startups and incubators, and exchange of expertise for military industry professionals.
- India and Armenia exchanged Terms of Reference for Joint Services Staff Talks and Singh reviewed the IT Lab built with India’s support at the Vazgen Sargsyan Military Academy.
- Since 2020, Armenia has become India’s largest defence export destination, with contracts worth nearly $2 billion to $3 billion, including Swathi radars ($40 million in 2020), Akash-1S air defence systems ($720 million for 15 systems in 2022) and Pinaka rocket launchers (₹2,000 crore for 4 batteries).
