India-Armenia defense ties are shaping a new geopolitical equation

In a world increasingly defined by shifting alliances and strategic recalibrations, the burgeoning defense relationship between India and Armenia stands as a compelling example of realpolitik, mutual interest, and regional power dynamics. What began as a quiet transaction of defense equipment has evolved into a robust strategic partnership that is not only reshaping the military calculus of the South Caucasus but also sending strong geopolitical signals—especially to Turkey and Pakistan.

Over the past few years, Armenia’s growing reliance on Indian military hardware, and India’s readiness to supply it, have created a new strategic alignment. While this partnership is driven by practical defense needs and economic logic, it is also deeply influenced by each nation’s adversaries and the larger tectonic shifts in Eurasian geopolitics.

The Rise of India as Armenia’s Strategic Defense Partner

Armenia, locked in a long-standing conflict with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, has traditionally depended on Russia for its defense requirements. However, in the wake of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war—where Armenia faced significant territorial and military setbacks—Yerevan began to diversify its sources of military equipment. Russia’s inability to fully meet Armenian demands, particularly as it became mired in the Ukraine conflict, created an opportunity for India.

India stepped into this vacuum with decisive clarity. In 2022, New Delhi signed a $250 million defense export deal with Yerevan, including the supply of Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers (MBRLs), anti-tank munitions, and ammunition. The Pinaka system, developed indigenously by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by Indian firms such as Tata Advanced Systems and Larsen & Toubro, represents a significant leap in battlefield firepower for Armenia. The system can launch a salvo of 12 rockets in 44 seconds, with a range of 40 to 75 kilometers depending on the variant.

But the Pinaka was just the beginning.

India subsequently supplied Armenia with Swathi Weapon Locating Radars—designed to detect enemy artillery positions—and the Akash surface-to-air missile systems, capable of neutralizing aerial threats at a range of up to 25 kilometers. In early 2024, reports confirmed the delivery of India’s Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), a 155 mm howitzer that is among the most advanced in the world in its class. These weapons significantly bolster Armenia’s defensive posture and deter Azerbaijan’s drone-heavy military doctrine, which proved decisive in earlier confrontations.

A Mutually Beneficial Partnership

This deepening relationship is a win-win for both countries. For Armenia, which finds itself in a vulnerable geopolitical position—with Turkey to the west and Azerbaijan to the east—India’s military support is more than just arms sales. It is a statement of solidarity from the world’s largest democracy.

For India, Armenia represents a strategic foothold in the South Caucasus, a region that sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and has long been a theater for big-power rivalry. By cementing a defense partnership with Armenia, India is not only expanding its defense export footprint—crucial to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India) initiative—but also indirectly counterbalancing the growing Ankara-Islamabad-Baku axis.

India’s defense exports, which were valued at just ₹1,500 crore in 2016-17, have crossed ₹21,000 crore in 2023-24. Armenia’s contracts are a vital part of this growth story. More importantly, they showcase India’s evolution from an arms importer to an exporter of cutting-edge systems, something that few developing countries have achieved.

The Turkey-Pakistan Nexus and Why It Matters

To fully understand the implications of India-Armenia ties, one must view them through the prism of Turkey’s overt support to Pakistan and Azerbaijan. Turkey, under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has emerged as one of the most vocal supporters of Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. Whether at the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), or in bilateral forums, Turkey has consistently toed Islamabad’s line, often echoing Pakistani narratives and opposing India’s internal policy moves in Jammu & Kashmir.

In addition, Turkey has supplied Pakistan with military drones, naval vessels, and training for special forces. It is widely believed that Turkish and Pakistani intelligence services maintain active coordination, particularly on regional Islamist networks and counter-India propaganda operations. Turkish media outlets—especially state-controlled ones—have also ramped up negative coverage of India, especially following the revocation of Article 370 in Kashmir.

Armenia has been at the receiving end of this alliance too. During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Turkey played a central role in training and equipping Azerbaijani forces. Turkish Bayraktar drones were instrumental in Azerbaijan’s battlefield successes, and Ankara reportedly facilitated the movement of Syrian mercenaries to Azerbaijan to fight alongside its troops.

It is against this backdrop that India’s decision to arm Armenia becomes even more geopolitically significant. By aiding Armenia, India is indirectly countering both Turkey’s expansionist ambitions and Pakistan’s anti-India activities. In fact, some Indian strategic thinkers have begun to describe Armenia as “India’s Israel” in the Caucasus—a partner bound not just by defense needs but by shared geopolitical adversities.

A New Geopolitical Architecture?

What we are witnessing is the emergence of a new mini-architecture of alliances and counter-alliances. On one side is the Turkey-Pakistan-Azerbaijan triangle, united by ideology, energy interests, and a common antagonism toward Armenia and India. On the other is a quieter but strategically potent axis of India-Armenia-Greece-Cyprus, bolstered occasionally by France. These countries have conducted joint military exercises, exchanged intelligence, and cooperated in global forums.

India’s recent diplomatic outreach to Greece and Cyprus further consolidates this framework. The Indian Navy has docked in ports along the Mediterranean, signaling a broader maritime strategy that complements its continental engagements. Greece, in particular, has praised India’s stand on Kashmir and backed New Delhi’s candidature at international bodies, while Cyprus remains a trusted friend in the EU.

The India-Armenia relationship is thus part of a larger effort to build strategic depth in regions traditionally dominated by other powers. It also reflects India’s growing confidence on the world stage—a confidence rooted in its economic rise, military modernization, and increasing alignment with Western powers, especially in the Indo-Pacific.

Challenges Ahead

Despite its promise, the India-Armenia partnership is not without challenges. The South Caucasus remains a volatile region. Any escalation between Armenia and Azerbaijan could draw in regional powers, especially Russia, Turkey, and Iran, complicating India’s calculus.

Moreover, while India’s arms sales are valuable, Armenia also requires diplomatic support, humanitarian assistance, and broader economic engagement. New Delhi will have to walk a tightrope—ensuring it supports Armenia without being dragged into a regional conflict or antagonizing Russia, which remains Armenia’s primary security guarantor through the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization).

Furthermore, India’s relations with Iran—Armenia’s southern neighbor—are of strategic importance, particularly in the context of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). Any military flare-up in the Caucasus could disrupt India’s westward connectivity plans, highlighting the need for deft diplomacy.

Looking Ahead: Building a Long-Term Strategic Partnership

To make the India-Armenia relationship more comprehensive, both countries must move beyond defense. Educational exchanges, cultural diplomacy, trade in pharmaceuticals and IT services, and cooperation in cybersecurity and intelligence are potential areas of expansion.

Armenia can also serve as a gateway for Indian businesses into the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), where it enjoys favorable trade terms. In return, Indian companies can help Armenia reduce its dependence on Russian and Turkish supply chains, creating a more balanced economic structure.

The two countries can also work together in multilateral forums such as the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement to champion the cause of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-intervention—principles both nations hold dear.

India and Armenia are scripting a new chapter in strategic diplomacy—one based on mutual respect, shared security concerns, and an eye on emerging global realities. As India rises on the world stage, its defense partnerships—once limited to major powers—are now embracing smaller but strategically vital nations. Armenia, caught in a web of regional threats, has found in India a reliable partner with no hidden agendas and a track record of restraint backed by real capability.

The defense deals are more than just business transactions—they are declarations of intent. Intent to stand firm against aggression. Intent to support those who stand for sovereignty. And intent to reshape the world not just through words, but through decisive action.

In an era where alliances are constantly tested, the India-Armenia bond is proving that geography does not constrain partnership, and shared principles can overcome even the most complex histories. As both nations look to the future, theirs is a partnership worth watching—strategic, sincere, and here to stay.