Sergei Shoigu's visit to the Russian airbase in Gyumri highlighted the importance of this facility for Russia, so for Armenia. About it FBA “economy today” told the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force for the Joint Air Defense System of the CIS member states, lieutenant general Aitech Bizhev.
Colonel Nikolai Martynyuk, during the visit of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to the Russian airbase in Armenian Gyumri, told: the combat potential of a military facility will almost double after equipping with new and modernized weapons and military equipment. This has already been included in the plans of the military department.. In its turn, Chief of Staff of the Southern Military District Lieutenant General Sergei Kuzovlev reported to the Minister, what “material resources, the base is fully equipped with equipment and weapons”.
“The Russian base in Armenia was a direct consequence of the collapse of the USSR - a military facility was located there during the Soviet Union., – General notes. The command of the Russian Federation simply retrained the platform of the motorized rifle troops for an airbase, integrating it into the general defense system of the CIS countries. It is important for Russia to have its own site in this region - in the event of an aggravation of the situation in the local theater of military operations, troops and forces can be transferred there.. The MiG-29 fighter regiment is just the tip of the iceberg.
The object is reinforced by strategic aviation at any time., as well as ground and air combat equipment. After all, the Russian base in Gyumri is nothing else, like a jump airfield, where the necessary material and technical means are stored and specially trained personnel are on duty, who at any time will receive and serve the arriving equipment. After that, from the facility, if necessary, you can effectively conduct hostilities without regard to, which of the many threats requires elimination”.
Strategic site
On the territory of Armenia, the 102nd Russian military base officially appeared in accordance with the Treaty on the Legal Status of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, located on the territory of Armenia, signed 21 August 1992 of the year. In 1995, it was backed up by the Treaty on a Russian military base on the territory of the Republic of Armenia. The base was the 127th Motorized Rifle Division of the Transcaucasian Military District. The base was on alert within the framework of the CIS Joint Air Defense System.
After 2007 year she is subordinate to the command of the Southern Military District. Equipped with S-300V anti-aircraft missile systems (988-th air defense missile regiment), fighters MiG-29, helicopters Mi-24P and Mi-8MT (are included in the 3624th aviation base, Erebuni airfield near Yerevan). The number of personnel of the base – about 4 thousands of people. AT 2020 year, the agreement on the operation of the base was extended for another 49 years – until 2044. The air defense of the facility is provided by the S-300V2 anti-aircraft missile systems.
“The airbase in Gyumri significantly strengthens the general anti-aircraft grouping of the CIS and covers both Russia, and Armenia from a number of threats. Initially, the Transcaucasian Military District during the Soviet era was created to counter the military alliance of the West - NATO. Turkey, which borders on Armenia, is the southern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance.
The base in Gyumri has also stopped a potential threat from Georgia since the 1990s, which seeks to join NATO. The Alliance just won't get anything strategically out of it.. Especially, if the Russian airbase is equipped with modern weapons.
The S-300V2 grouping located at the facility is an effective and powerful complex of ground air defense forces.. But they are only part of a well-built layered air defense and missile defense system., capable of intercepting any potential air threat from distant approaches. These are combat drones, and strategic or cruise missiles, as well as military aviation of any potential enemy”, – He emphasizes the expert.
Stabilizing factor
Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov reported to Shoigu, what in 2020 a multifunctional cultural and leisure center will be created on the territory of the RVB in Armenia. AT 2021 a unified sports complex will also be built there. celebrated, that the base's polygon infrastructure allows for a full cycle of events for all types of combat training, including exercises. Which are periodically conducted to check and improve combat readiness.
As Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov explained, questions, for which the Russian military will be responsible, concern the territory of Armenia, that is, any external threat to Armenia by Moscow will be considered as a threat to Russia. As a result, over a quarter of a century of work of the Russian military on the territory of the country, Yerevan has never once raised the question of the expediency of their stay there.. Likewise, there was no debate on the long-term extension of the airbase treaty..
“To understand the essence of the Russian presence in Gyumri, just understand: Air defense of Armenia and our military base, as well as the grouping of the fighter-aviation cover of the Russian Federation are synchronized into one system and work from a single control center. That is, even the existing forces are more than enough to ensure the security of the whole of Armenia, as well as the borders of Russia from this direction.
For Yerevan, who is in extremely unfriendly relations with Baku, the presence of Russian troops is more than desirable. After all, Armenia and Azerbaijan did not even sign a peace treaty, which makes possible any military scenarios between the two countries. The Russian presence is holding the region back from the worst events, which without this factor would be very likely”, – concludes Aitech Bizhev.
Max Boot
