Armenia has selected the Trajan 155 mm towed artillery gun system, developed jointly by India and France, for induction into its military, as reported by the Economic Times.
This advanced 52-calibre towed gun system was developed by L&T in collaboration with KNDS France, and has already been tested by the Indian Army, meeting all qualitative requirements. These include performance in challenging terrains such as marshy plains and high-altitude cold deserts. Notably, several critical subsystems, including the auxiliary power unit, control panel, and rolling gear assembly, were developed indigenously in India.
The report also highlighted that the Trajan artillery guns will add to the growing number of Indian-origin armaments in Armenia’s arsenal. Armenia has already received multi-barrel rocket launchers, artillery guns, and various ammunition from India. The indigenous advanced towed artillery gun systems are already in service with the Armenian military.
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In addition, the first launchers and associated equipment of the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher system, developed in India, have been supplied to Armenia. The export contract for the Pinaka system, valued at $250 million, underscores the growing defence cooperation between the two countries. Developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in Pune, the Pinaka system is named after the bow of the Hindu god Shiva.
Armenia has also placed orders for the Akash anti-air systems, which are manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited. With 82% indigenous content and around 60% of the project cost allocated to private industries, including MSMEs, the Akash system is a significant step in India’s growing defence export capability.
The Indian Defence Ministry has been actively pushing for increased defence exports and domestic manufacturing to meet both internal and international demands. As a result, the value of defence production in India has surged since 2014-15. According to reports, the value of production has tripled, growing from Rs 46,429 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 1.27 lakh crore in the last fiscal year.
India’s top three defence export customers are now the US, France, and Armenia. According to PTI, the private sector’s contribution to defence production has reached 21%. Major defence platforms produced in India include the LCA Tejas fighter jets, aircraft carriers, warships, submarines, the Dhanush artillery gun system, MBT Arjun tanks, and the Akash missile system.
Historically, Armenia relied heavily on Russia for its arms procurement. Between 2011 and 2020, Russia accounted for 93.7% of Armenia’s arms imports, according to SIPRI. However, this shift toward Indian-origin defence equipment signals a growing diversification of Armenia’s arms suppliers.