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World
Armenia showcased an Iranian "Majid" short-range air defense system during its Republic Day military parade, raising questions about its defense partnerships.
Armenia held a military parade to mark Republic Day, featuring various military equipment including rocket launchers, drones, and armored vehicles from countries such as France and India. Among the displayed assets was what appeared to be an Iranian air defense system.
The event took place shortly after US President Donald Trump publicly expressed support for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7. This parade coincided with Armenia's efforts to strengthen ties with Washington.
Initial reports identified the Iranian "AD-08 Majid" system, a short-range air defense platform mounted on a truck, during training exercises the day before the parade. Several Armenian media outlets published images showing partially covered "Majid" systems.
On May 28, the Armenian service of Radio Free Europe observed the same systems moving through Republic Square after their covers were removed. However, the official announcer at the parade avoided specifying the origin of these systems.
The announcer described the system as the "Scorpion," a self-propelled short-range surface-to-air missile system designed to detect and destroy low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and drones, as well as provide air defense for vital military and industrial facilities.
"Scorpion" appears to be the local Armenian designation for the Iranian system, following a pattern where Armenian authorities assign local names to foreign equipment. For example, the French "Caesar" artillery system is locally called "Aramazd," named after a deity in Armenian mythology.
A spokesperson for the Armenian Ministry of Defense declined to confirm or deny whether the "Scorpion" system originated from Iran.
New Zealand military analyst Sirous Amirian told Radio Farda, affiliated with Radio Free Europe, that there should be no doubt about the system's origin. He stated that anyone familiar with Iranian military equipment could identify the system without official Armenian confirmation.
Amirian explained that comparing the components and structure of the system with known images of the Majid system shows a 99.5% match. He suggested that Armenia, not subject to sanctions, might have mounted the system on a better international chassis—specifically, an Italian Iveco truck—instead of the Iranian Aras vehicle.
The Majid system is a relatively recent Iranian air defense platform, first used by Iran during the 12-day conflict with Israel last year, according to the Tehran Times newspaper. On May 27, Defense Security Asia reported that Armenia would be the first country to purchase this system.
Amirian described the system's capabilities, noting it can be deployed at a location, set up its supports, activate optical and detection systems, launch missiles, and then relocate 5 to 10 kilometers within five minutes. He added that this mobility and integration into a single vehicle make the system highly attractive.
Iranian authorities claimed effective use of the Majid system against US forces during March and April, including an incident involving damage to an F-35 fighter jet, though independent verification is lacking.
Prime Minister Pashinyan said the purpose of the military parade in Yerevan was to report to the Armenian people on the weapons acquired to modernize the armed forces following Armenia's defeat in the 2023 war with Azerbaijan.
The conflict exposed Armenia's vulnerability to drone attacks and led to the displacement of approximately 100,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan regained control of the region.
On May 28, Pashinyan stated, "The army's transformation is not about war but about peace," adding, "We have set the task of increasing Armenia's defense capabilities."
The parade featured equipment from seven countries, including French "Bastion" armored vehicles, American M2 machine guns, and Russian Mi-17 helicopters.
Pashinyan is campaigning for re-election on June 7 with a platform advocating reduced dependence on Moscow and repositioning Armenia towards Washington, a stance supported by the US president.
On May 27, Trump wrote on social media, "Nikol has my full and total support for re-election."
This statement followed a visit by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on May 26, during which he said Pashinyan promised "a brighter and more independent future for Armenia."
Pashinyan is also seeking to strengthen relations with the European Union after Armenia passed a law declaring its intention to join the EU in the future.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized this geopolitical shift on May 28, stating that Armenia's leadership's path toward closer ties with NATO, whose main policy opposes Moscow, "can only cause concern."
Despite Pashinyan's efforts to redirect foreign policy, Armenia's geographic location requires maintaining close economic relations with neighboring Iran, which supplies it with oil and industrial goods. Before the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran was also a key trade route for Armenia.
The Iranian position on Armenia's Western orientation remains unclear. Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Khalil Shirghlami was among those attending the military parade.
Amirian believes pragmatism will likely continue to guide Iran's stance toward Armenia. He said, "Iran does not seem to view Armenia's Western orientation as a threat. This deal may simply be driven by export opportunities. For a country like Iran, exporting contracts worth $500 million, as declared, is not insignificant."
