Armenia acquires a number of advanced surface-to-air missile systems
( IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly) – Armenia has acquired a number of advanced 9K338 Igla-S (SA-24 ‘Grinch’) and 9K333 Verba (SA-25) manportable infrared-homing surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems,
The missiles were purchased in particular with a view to counter the potential incursion of attack helicopters and armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Azerbaijan, with Armenian Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources confirming to Jane’s that the systems were supplied from December 2016 and January.
The deputy chief of the Armenian Air Defence Force, Colonel Artur Pogosyan, initially disclosed the information in an interview with Armenian military journal HayZinvor , published on 12 April.
It is believed that this procurement was secured under the aegis of a bilateral Armenian-Russian arms deal involving a USD200 million loan agreement.