Expert: Iskander-M systems are in inventory of Armenian armed forces  and all remarks about it are speculation or professional ignorance   

ArmInfo. The advanced  Russian-made Iskander-M missile systems are in the inventory of the  Armenian Armed Forces and all the remarks that the systems are on the  books of the 102nd Russian military base are speculation or just  professional ignorance, Armenian political expert Sergey Minasyan has  told ArmInfo, when commenting on the Armenian media reports that part  of the military hardware to be demonstrated at the military parade in  Armenia on the occasion of Armenia's Independence Day is on the books  of the 102nd Russian military base.    

"Probably, part of the military hardware has been transferred from  the 102nd Russian military base deployed in Armenia. Nevertheless,  that military hardware belongs to the Armed Forces of Armenia,"  Minasyan says, stressing that the stormy debates particularly concern  the Iskander-M missile systems. He notes that these systems have  never belonged to the 102nd Russian military base. Nor have they been  supplied to Armenia under the 200 mln USD loan agreement. 

"Iskander-M systems were delivered to Armenia long ago and they will  officially be demonstrated at the September 21 military parade timed  to the 25th anniversary of Armenia's Independence. Moreover, these  systems were in the inventory of the Armenian side long before the  April 2016 events. Like other Armenian systems, these systems fit  into the defense logic of the country and they had their own  influence on the course of these events. Let's not forget that the  April escalation did not develop into a large-scale war. The  Azerbaijani army used the surprise effect, however, it did not resort  to large-scale shelling of Nagorno- Karabakh territories or important  state or military facilities," Minasyan says. 

The expert thinks that one of the reasons was apparently Azerbaijan's  awareness of the fact that there were Tochka-U, SCUD and Iskander-M  systems in the inventory of the Armenian Armed Forces.   

"It is another matter that Iskander-M is a tactical system.  Nevertheless, in the context of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the regional  security system of the South Caucasus, one can consider these systems  to be strategic ones, which are meant to settle strategic tasks. It  was not necessary to apply Iskander-M to implement the goals set in  April 2016," he says.   

Minasyan points out that military parades on the occasion of  Independence Day anniversary have become a tradition. "The previous  parade was organized at the events dedicated to the 20th anniversary  of Armenia's Independence. So, speculations are irrelevant. On the  other hand, parades are a tool of military, military- political and  psychological deterrence," Minasyan says. 

Meanwhile, following the demonstration of Iskander-M systems in  Republic Square of Yerevan, Russian expert Alexander Khramchikhin  said that these systems are on the books of the 102nd Russian  military base, not in the inventory of the Armenian armed forces, and  that the decision whether to use them or not will be taken by Moscow,  not Yerevan. "The deployment of several Iskander-M systems in the  102nd Russian military base is not directed against Azerbaijan,  because the base in Gyumri defends the Armenian-Turkish border," the  expert said. 

He said that if the military operations are restricted to Karabakh  and if Turkey does not interfere with the conflict, then Russia will  also keep aloof from any actions. Khramchikhin is convinced that the  resumption of armed hostilities in the Karabakh conflict zone is  almost inevitable, because the sides' positions remain mutually  exclusive and neither Russia nor any other superpowers can order Baku  and Yerevan not to fight.  

For his part, Igor Korotchenko, another Russian military expert,  editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, has told ArmInfo  that the presence of the 102nd Russian military base in Armenia with  its up-to- date military hardware is an important element of the  republic's security and confirms Russia's obligations as an ally.       

"Armenia's CSTO membership demonstrates that Yerevan will not remain  face to face with external threats and that such a powerful  organization as CSTO will be implementing its allied obligations to  defend the partners against external challenges and threats," he  says.   

To recall, under the agreement on provision of a 200 mln USD loan to  Armenia, the Armenian armed forces will acquire "Smerch" multiple  artillery rocket systems with ammunition, "Igla-S" surface-to-air  missile systems, "Avtobaza-M" passive signals-intelligence systems,  TOS-1A "Solntsepyok" flame throwers, "Tigr" all-terrain infantry  mobility vehicles, "Konkurs-M" anti-tank missile systems, RPG-26  anti-tank rocket launchers, KamAZes, as well as communications  equipment and engineering equipment. The agreement of Russia's  concessional loan was signed in 2015.  Armenia will start repaying  the loan at the annual interest of 3% in 2018 in terms of Russian  rubles within 10 years. The prepayment will total just 10%. 

To note, on September 21 a military parade marking the 25th  anniversary of Armenia's independence will be held in Yerevan. The  parade will feature all the up-to-date military hardware and  equipment on the books of the Armenian Armed Forces.