Media: Armenia becomes largest customer of Indian arms, advanced missile systems

In a significant shift in its defence export policy, India has embraced the opportunity to supply lethal arms to other countries, with Armenia emerging as its largest customer for finished weapon systems. 

Among the key exports are the Akash air defence missile systems, Pinaka multi-launch rocket systems, and 155mm artillery guns, Caliber.Az reports per The Times of India.

According to official sources, India recorded military sales totalling $2.6 billion to various countries in the fiscal year 2023-2024, with the United States, France, and Armenia being the top three destinations for its defence exports.

Indian public and private sector firms are now exporting a diverse range of arms, ammunition, and fuses to around 100 nations. This includes complete weapon systems and platforms such as BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, Dornier-228 aircraft, artillery guns, radars, Akash missiles, Pinaka rockets, and armoured vehicles.

Exports to the United States primarily consist of subsystems and components, with major global defence companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin sourcing fuselage, wings, and other parts of aircraft and helicopters from India as part of their global supply chains and offset commitments.

In recent years, Armenia has signed numerous contracts with India for the import of finished products, including missiles, artillery guns, rocket systems, weapon-locating radars, bullet-proof vests, night-vision equipment, and a variety of ammunition and artillery shells. Some agreements were finalised during Armenia's conflict with Azerbaijan.

Notably, Armenia has become the first foreign customer for India's indigenously developed Akash air defence missiles, which boast an interception range of 25 km. Other nations, including Brazil, are expressing interest in co-producing and co-developing advanced versions of the system, with discussions for an inter-governmental agreement currently underway.

Additionally, following India's successful $375 million contract in January 2022 to export three BrahMos anti-ship coastal missile batteries to the Philippines, other ASEAN countries and several Gulf nations are increasingly interested in acquiring these precision-strike missiles, co-developed by India and Russia.

Despite these strides in arms exports, India remains in a strategically vulnerable position as the world's largest arms importer, accounting for 9.8% of total global imports from 2019 to 2023. Nevertheless, the nation is progressively expanding its domestic defence-industrial base and has implemented bans on the import of certain weapon systems under its "Aatmanirbharta" (self-reliance) initiative, also known as "Make in India".

By Aghakazim Guliyev