Syed Fazl-e-Haider
Armenia is reportedly nearing a $3 billion deal to purchase Su-30MKI fighter jets from India. Built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the Su-30MKI is a multirole fighter jet with advanced avionics, dual-engine thrust-vectoring, and significant weapons-carrying capacity. Under the deal, India will begin delivery of the first batch of eight to twelve aircraft to Armenia in 2027 and complete it by 2029 (Indian Defense News, October 28; Open Caucasus Media, October 31). The deal between India and Armenia comes after Azerbaijan’s recent purchase of 40 JF-17 Thunder Block III aircraft from Pakistan, India’s main geopolitical rival. In October, the arrival of Pakistan’s JF-17 fighter jets in Azerbaijan sent a ripple of anxiety through Yerevan. At the end of October, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistan military’s media wing, also announced a joint combat exercise with Azerbaijan, saying an air force contingent comprising JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter jets arrived in Azerbaijan for a bilateral aerial combat exercise (Dawn, October 19). Additionally, on November 8, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev confirmed that JF-17 Thunder Block III fighters were included in Azerbaijan’s military armament (President of Azerbaijan, November 8). The deal between Armenia and India is believed to enhance Armenia’s long-range air combat capabilities and could serve as a strategic counter to Azerbaijan’s growing defense partnership with Pakistan (Indian Defense News, October 28).
Pakistan and India are set to trigger an arms race in the South Caucasus. The Yerevan–New Delhi deal also reflects the pursuit of the “enemy of my enemy is my friend” line as a countermeasure to Azerbaijan’s acquisition of JF-17 fighters from Pakistan (The Week, October 27). Armenia’s deal with India is part of Yerevan’s strategy to diversify its defense partnerships away from its traditional reliance on Russia (see EDM, September 12, 2024). Armenia has already purchased Pinaka multiple-launch rocket systems, Swathi counter-battery radars, and ATAGS 155mm howitzers from India (Open Caucasus Media, October 31). The deal is one step in India’s efforts to establish its footprint as an arms supplier in a region where Russia and Türkiye have been the key players (Indian Defense News, October 28).
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