Russia’s 3624th Air Base at the Erebuni airport in Yerevan currently hosts at least 16 MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets operating under the framework of air defense agreements concluded between the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
“The Russian air contingent [in Armenia] will be strengthened with Mi-24P attack helicopters, Mi-8MT and Mi-8SMV military transport helicopters, which will be used for ground support and transportation of the [Russian] troops deployed in Armenia,” the press service said in a statement.
The Mi-24P (Hind-F) is a gunship version of the famed Russian attack helicopter armed with a side-mounted 30-mm GSh-30K twin-barrel cannon, while the Mi-8SMV (Hip-J) is an airborne jamming platform with “Smalta-V” system, designed to protect ground attack aircraft from enemy air defenses.
The personnel of the squadron are undergoing specific training at an airbase in Rostov-on-Don.
The helicopters will be gradually deployed at the Erebuni base through 2014, the press service said.
Armenian Deputy Defense Minister Ara Nazaryan said in November last year that the Russian squadron at the Erebuni base would comprise 18 helicopters.
The Erebuni air base is part of Russia’s 102nd military base located in Gyumri, near Armenia’s border with Turkey.
The 102nd base has been deployed in Gyumri since 1995 under a bilateral treaty that was extended in 2010 from 25 to 49 years, ensuring a Russian military presence in Armenia through 2044.
God bless Russia. God bless Armenia. And may God help us protect Russo-Armenian alliance from all enemies both foreign and domestic.
We’re now fully protected from both external and internal threats.
Armenia needs to build it’s own military weapons and stop relaying so much on Russia. We need to have our own military production. That way, it could be very hard for an army to invade us.
Good !.
Better still – !!! –
If Russia would transfere the most modern weponry of their making,
for a supposed Armenian War against Turkey.
Such a War could come.
Arn.Sweden.
If anyone seriously thinks Russia will help Armenia in a war against Turkey, they are completely and totally delusional and are putting Armenia’s existence as well as the entire region in complete peril. Russia will never help Armenia what with its multi-billion dollar trade volume with Ankara.
Let’s stop clinging onto others and getting excited about going to war with Turkey and look to rebuild our own country first.
Russia is in fact itching for a war against Turkey.