France to boost Armenia's air defences with radars, missiles - minister

France is helping Armenia to improve its air defence capacity with the sale of three radars and an agreement on the future delivery of Mistral anti-air missiles, Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on October 23.

"The protection of the sky is something that's absolutely key," Lecornu said during a joint news conference with Armenia's Defence Minister Suren Papikyan in Paris, Reuters reports.

The two ministers signed off on the sale of three Thales-made GM 200 radars, which France has also provided to Ukraine, and signed a memorandum of understanding on the future delivery of France's Mistral short-range air defence system.

France will also help Armenia train ground defence forces and support the country's efforts to reform and modernise its military, Lecornu said.