New Delhi: A five-member delegation of the Armenian Armed Forces, led by Major General Alexander Tsakanyan, visited an Indian Air Force station under the Western Air Command on Thursday, September 10, in a fresh step towards strengthening military-to-military engagement between India and Armenia. The IAF announced the visit through its Media Coordination Centre on X.
During the visit, the Armenian delegation undertook a guided tour of the station's operational and maintenance facilities, providing an opportunity to gain exposure to the IAF's operational procedures, maintenance practices and technical support infrastructure.
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The IAF said the engagement strengthened military-to-military ties, promoted mutual understanding and knowledge sharing, and contributed to operational interoperability between the two armed forces. It also reaffirmed the enduring defence relationship between New Delhi and Yerevan.
The visit comes amid increasing defence engagement between India and Armenia. Earlier this year, India's then Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan held discussions with Armenian Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Edvard Asryan on opportunities for cooperation, including potential joint ventures in military hardware. An Indian defence delegation led by Chauhan had also visited Armenia in February for discussions on bilateral defence and strategic cooperation.
India and Armenia have steadily expanded their defence relationship in recent years, with cooperation increasingly encompassing military engagement, technical collaboration, defence capability development and industrial partnerships.
The latest IAF visit adds an important operational and institutional dimension to that relationship. Beyond defence equipment, such engagements allow both sides to exchange experience in areas such as military operations, maintenance and support infrastructure.
The growing engagement with Armenia also strengthens India's strategic presence in the South Caucasus, while for Yerevan, engagement with India's defence ecosystem provides another avenue for capability development and military cooperation.
The visit therefore reflects the gradual evolution of India-Armenia defence ties from a procurement-oriented relationship towards a broader partnership involving military-to-military engagement, knowledge exchange and potential defence-industrial cooperation.
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