Author: Emil Lazarian

French-supplied CAESAR self-propelled artillery systems appeared publicly for the first time in Armenia during rehearsals for the country’s Republic Day parade, scheduled for May 28 in central Yerevan, signaling a concrete and visible shift in Armenian military hardware away from its traditional Russian-origin inventory.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had previously announced that the government would showcase military equipment acquired during his tenure at the May 28 event, describing it explicitly as a “report to citizens” on his administration’s defense reforms, according to Armenpress, Armenia’s state news agency.

The CAESAR systems visible during parade rehearsals are among the most significant Western weapons Armenia has received in recent years, and their public display carries both military and political meaning in a country that has been rapidly reorienting its defense relationships following the catastrophic loss of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023.

The CAESAR, which stands for Camion Équipé d’un Système d’ARtillerie, is a French-developed 155mm self-propelled wheeled howitzer produced by Nexter, now part of the KNDS group. Mounted on a truck chassis rather than a tracked platform, the CAESAR combines strategic mobility, it can be transported by air and deployed rapidly over road networks, with the firepower of a conventional heavy artillery piece. The system fires standard NATO 155mm ammunition to ranges exceeding 40 kilometers with extended-range munitions, and its wheeled configuration allows it to reposition quickly after firing, reducing vulnerability to counter-battery fire.

The CAESAR has seen extensive operational use with the French Army in Afghanistan, Mali, Iraq, and other theaters, and France has supplied the system to Denmark, Morocco, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine, among other customers. Its appearance in Armenian service marks a meaningful step in the country’s transition toward NATO-standard artillery calibers and the Western logistics and training ecosystems that accompany them.

Armenia’s pivot toward Western defense suppliers has accelerated dramatically since September 2023, when Azerbaijani forces retook Nagorno-Karabakh in a 24-hour military operation that the Armenian military was unable to contest effectively. The operation exposed the limitations of Armenia’s Russian-supplied military equipment and, more fundamentally, the collapse of the security relationship with Moscow that Yerevan had relied upon for decades. Russia, Armenia’s nominal ally through the Collective Security Treaty Organization, provided no meaningful military assistance during the crisis, and the Armenian government subsequently announced its suspension of participation in CSTO activities. That political rupture opened the door to defense cooperation with France, the European Union, and other Western partners that would have been difficult to pursue while the Russian security relationship remained operative.

The French government’s decision to supply CAESAR systems to Armenia is politically significant given the system’s prominence in Ukraine, where it has been used extensively against Russian forces and has become one of the most recognizable symbols of Western artillery support for Kyiv. Supplying the same system to Armenia, which shares a border with Russia and Azerbaijan, is a statement about the depth of France’s commitment to Armenian defense capacity-building that goes beyond the technical specifications of the weapon itself.

The specific quantities of CAESAR systems delivered to Armenia have not been confirmed in the available source material, and the full scope of French military deliveries to Yerevan remains only partially public.

Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin criticized Armenia and warned of the “inadmissibility” of a course towards European integration without agreement with the Kremlin, threatening a “Ukrainian scenario.”

He made this statement, according to Russian media reports, during a press conference on May 9.

Putin warned that such a policy could lead to a scenario similar to the events in Ukraine in 2014, implying a Russian armed invasion.

In his opinion, Armenia should take into account Moscow’s position on issues of European integration, which is why Putin considers it appropriate to hold a referendum. The dictator also stated that such a decision would be right both for the citizens of Armenia themselves and for the “main economic partner” – Russia.

“In my opinion, it would be right, both in relation to the population, the citizens of Armenia, and in relation to us, as the main economic partner, to decide as early as possible, for example, by holding a referendum,” Putin emphasized.

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At the same time, he added that although it is “not our business”, in principle it would be quite logical to hold a referendum and ask the citizens of Armenia what their choice would be. “Accordingly, we would draw the appropriate conclusions and follow the path of a soft, intelligent and mutually beneficial divorce,” the Kremlin leader noted.

At the same time, he warned of the possible consequences in the event of a different development of events, drawing a parallel with Ukraine. “We are now experiencing everything that is happening in the Ukrainian direction. And where did it start? With Ukraine’s accession or attempt to join the EU,” Putin said, emphasizing that all this later led to “the coup d’état, the Crimean history, the position of southeastern Ukraine and hostilities.”

As a reminder, the first-ever bilateral summit between Armenia and the European Union took place in Yerevan on May 5. The event is being attended by the Armenian leadership and top EU officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.

During the international summit in Yerevan, where leaders of democratic states and NATO leadership gathered, Ukraine and Armenia declared a transition to long-term cooperation. Political scientist Oleg Sahakyan analyzed the change in geopolitical accents in the region on the air of “Pryamoy”, pointing to the gradual displacement of Russian influence and the growth of Kyiv’s role as a security partner

It should be noted that on June 7, parliamentary elections will be held in Armenia, in which the country must decide whether to move closer to Europe or Russia. This state was until recently under the strong influence of the Russian Federation, and there is still a Russian military base with several thousand soldiers on its territory.