ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
April 3, 2004 Saturday
Armenia’s defence minister satisfied with CIS air defence system
By Tigran liloyan
YEREVAN
The Commonwealth of Independent States’ (CIS) Joint Air Defence
System is capable of fulfilling any task, Armenian Defence Minister
Serzh Sarkisyan said at the meeting with Russian journalists on
Saturday. He said he would like that system to be armed with
state-of-the-art combat means.
The minister said, “Armenian air defence troops are mission capable
and they have proved it in the course of joint exercises at the
Russian air defence test range Ashuluk.”
“The armed forces are the main guarantor of the country’s security.
They have all the necessary means to protect the borders of their
homeland,” the minister said. Mechanised units led by career officers
with vast combat experience form the bulk of the Armenian armed
forces, the minister said.
“The important component of Armenia’s national security is the
Russian military base,” he stressed.