FACTOMETER
en
ру
հյ
Igor Korotchenko, founder and editor-in-chief of the Russian magazine Natsionalnaia Oborona (“National Defense”), recently stated in an interview with the Moscow-Baku news agency that the French air defense systems that Armenia is acquiring “pose a threat to civil aviation.”
“Western technology-based air defense systems in Armenia may pose a risk and threat to civil aviation as a result of the irresponsible behavior of the Armenian elite.” “It is obvious that the deployment of a NATO air defense segment in Armenia is a threat to security in the region,” Korotchenko stated.
His interview was covered by other Azerbaijani media outlets under the following headline: “French air defense in Armenia is a threat to civilian aircraft.”
Note that Korotchenko is presented in the media as a politician and military expert. He is known for his pro-Azerbaijani and anti-Armenian stance. Moreover, he predicted that Armenia could turn into today’s Syria. He is often hosted by Azerbaijani media outlets and makes statements that serve Azerbaijani interests.
This is yet another statement about French air defense systems. His statement probably derives from the visit of Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan to France on December 17, the meeting with the country’s Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu, and the discussions during that meeting about cooperation between the two countries in the defense sector. According to the official press release, “Suren Papikyan emphasized the importance of both the steady implementation of previously reached agreements with Sebastien Lecornu, as well as the new agreements on cooperation to be reached during the meeting.”
The arms supply by France to Armenia was referred to back in 2023, when Reuters wrote that the defense ministers of Armenia and France had signed an agreement for the sale of three GM 200 radars, as well as a memorandum on future supplies of French Mistral short-range air defense systems.
What is the French CAESAR artillery system which has inflamed passions in Azerbaijan?
Military methodology expert Vazgen Ghazaryan says that French air defense systems do not pose a risk to civilian infrastructure, they are acquired only for defense purposes and can only be dangerous for the enemy’s offensive military equipment. “Civil and military aircraft operate at different altitudes. That is, civil aircraft have their own standard altitude, of which air defense experts are perfectly aware. Current French air defense systems are digitalized in such a way that it is clearly visible on the monitor what kind of aircraft it is, and it is impossible to accidentally shoot down a civilian aircraft,” the expert told FIP.am.
Unlike French air defense systems, the Russian S-300s, which were supplied to Armenia by Russia, were, according to the expert, outdated and more dangerous, since they were not equipped with a digital system, and the target of the attack was depicted on the screen as an indefinite point.
“Western air defense systems are equipped with digital technologies that do not hit civilian objects,” the expert concluded.
High-ranking Armenian officials have repeatedly stated that Armenia is purchasing defensive weapons. Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has said that Armenia will continue to acquire defensive weapons regardless of the security situation after the signing of a peace treaty. “The weapons and ammunition acquired by the Republic of Armenia are not aimed at aggression against any country. Of course, I cannot deny that there is a danger, and that danger is visible from the current rhetoric, and our obligation is to protect the territorial integrity, the sovereignty of our country,” Papikyan announced at the beginning of this year.
It is worth noting that two civil aircraft have been shot down in the last three decades by Russian air defense systems: one in 2001, when the Russian long-range anti-aircraft missile system C200 shot down the TU154 aircraft of the Siberia Airlines, killing 78 people, and the other in 2014, when the Russian BUK anti-aircraft missile system shot down a Boeing 777 belonging to th Malaysia Airlines and flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing 298 people.
Thus, pro-Azerbaijani politician Igor Korotchenko is spreading false information based on his own assumptions, stating that French air defense systems pose a threat to civil aircraft. The Armenian side has repeatedly stated that it is arming itself to protect the security of its own country and has no plans to preemptively attack any other country.
Hasmik Hambardzumyan
