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The latest arms deals Armenia inked with India represent the two countries’ strengthening defense ties. In 2022, Yerevan ordered four batteries of the Indian-made Pinaka multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) for an estimated $250 million.

The partnership is set to expand further, with reports indicating that Armenia is interested in having India supply armaments and train fighter pilots for its Russian-built Su-30SM Flanker fighter jets.

At first, Armenia wanted to buy at least 12 Su-30SMs. However, it eventually procured four Sukhoi Su-30SM multirole fighters from Moscow.

New Delhi has also been using this fourth-generation fighter aircraft for a long time, making it a skilled user in adapting it for various circumstances.

India maintains a sizable fleet of 272 Su-30MKI Flankers, most of which were manufactured by New Delhi under license. These fighter jets are the backbone of the Indian Air Force, which has also bought and secured formidable non-Russian armaments. 

On the other hand, Yerevan might be hesitant to invest in these planes. In 2019, the government of Nikol Pashinyan praised the acquisition of contemporary fighter aircraft, announcing that the nation was finally moving past the days of shopping for inexpensive, low-tech Soviet-era systems.

However, the purchase of these fighters sparked heated discussion within the defense community and expenditure watchdogs. The absence of these fighter jets during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 2020 has raised major concerns.

The Armenian flankers lacked essential weapons, mainly guided air-to-surface missiles. Launching unguided missiles into the fray from those jets would have led to losses with little to no noticeable gains. 

During that conflict, Azerbaijan employed Israeli-produced Harop loitering munitions and Turkish drones to take out several Armenian air defense installations and other defense hardware. 

Baku’s effective employment of such weapons strongly suggested Yerevan made a catastrophic error by devoting a large portion of its meager defense budget to a small number of flashy Flankers at the expense of its nascent drone sector.

These jets earned the mocking moniker “White Elephant” from its critics. It was earlier believed that Yerevan could transfer its current four back to Moscow, given the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

However, Yerevan later refuted claims last March that it had handed its Flankers back to Moscow to be utilized in the conflict.

Strength of Armenian Su-30s

The Sukhoi-30 combat aircraft is used by approximately 15 nations, including China, Russia, its original manufacturer, Armenia, Indonesia, and Algeria. 

Recently, an ace Indian fighter pilot told local media that the Su-30MKI’s beautiful integration of various weaponry, sensors, and avionics from all over the world sets it apart from Flankers used by other countries.

These weapons prominently include the Astra beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile and an air-launched BrahMos supersonic cruise missile (BRAAM), which provide the Su-30MKI a significant standoff capability.

The Indian pilot added that the combination of the Astra air-to-air missiles and the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles had increased the aircraft’s lethality. Thus, it would make sense if Armenia and India worked together to upgrade Armenia’s Su-30 fleet. 

Given that Armenia couldn’t afford to buy new fighter jets, upgrading existing aircraft and training its pilots also stands to reason. Even if it decides to buy more Su-30 aircraft, it might prompt Azerbaijan to retaliate by buying cutting-edge fighter aircraft.

Baku may very easily use an Armenian purchase as justification to finally buy the JF-17 Thunder fighter that China and Pakistan jointly produced. A squadron of JF-17 Block 3 aircraft equipped with Chinese PL-15 BVRAAM would significantly increase Azerbaijani airpower and possibly counter any edge Flankers would bring to Armenia.

Yerevan may take a middle-ground approach and modernize its four Flankers with the assistance of Indian technicians. The Astra and even the BrahMos might be fitted to the aircraft, allowing Armenia to strike targets far within Azerbaijan.

The two nations are also concerned by the development of trilateral military links between Pakistan, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. Pakistan has reportedly been providing troops and military equipment as Azerbaijan’s ally to help the latter in its conflicts. 

Baku has provided Islamabad with geopolitical, geoeconomic, and geostrategic advantages. The “Three Brothers” military exercise in 2021 between Pakistan, Turkey, and Azerbaijan was intended to improve the interoperability between the three countries’ armed forces. 

Nevertheless, if New Delhi were to equip Armenian fighter jets and train its pilots, it would considerably improve Yerevan’s defense capabilities and pave the path for India to supply more weaponry to Armenia.

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“After being launched from a Su-30 fighter aircraft, the missile hit the target ship in the centre. It was a test of the anti-ship version of the air-launched version of the missile,” said Defence officials. The missile achieved the desired mission objectives in the Bay of Bengal region. With this, IAF has achieved a significant capability boost to carry out precision strikes from SU-30MKI aircraft against land/sea targets over very long ranges.

“The extended range capability of the missile coupled with the high performance of the SU-30MKI aircraft gives the IAF a strategic reach and allows it to dominate future battlefields.

The dedicated and synergetic efforts of the IAF, Indian Navy, DRDO, BAPL and HAL have been instrumental in achieving this feat,” read an official statement from the Ministry of Defence.

Earlier in May, India successfully test-fired the extended-range version of BrahMos air-launched missile from Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the launch from the aircraft was as planned and the missile achieved a direct hit on the designated target in the Bay of Bengal region.

It was the first launch of the extended-range version of the BrahMos missile from the Su-30MKI aircraft.

The Ministry said the dedicated and synergetic efforts of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Indian Navy, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Bengal Aerotropolis Projects (BAPL) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have proven the capability of the nation to achieve this feat.

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The IAF has initiated a contract worth €27 million, in September 2021, with the manufacturer to buy the fighters, eight of which are in ready-to-fly condition. The report also revealed that these aircraft, which will cost €1.125 million each, will soon be shipped to India in containers.

Two Mirage 2000 trainer fighters were received in November 2021.

The Mirage fighters

The Mirage-2000 is undoubtedly one of the IAF’s most versatile and deadliest aircraft and it was first commissioned in 1985. Soon after inducting the Mirage, IAF gave it the name — Vajra — meaning lightning thunderbolt in Sanskrit. It is developed by Dassault Aviation and took its first flight in 1978 and was inducted into the French Air Force in 1984. Indian airforce mirage 2000 India had placed an initial order of 36 single-seater Mirage-2000 and four twin-seater Mirage 2000 in 1982 as an answer to Pakistan buying United States-made F-16 fighter jets by Lockheed Martin. The Mirage-2000 played a decisive role in the 1999 war of Kargil and turned it in India’s favour. In 2004, the government placed an additional order of 10 Mirage-2000 planes taking the total tally to 50 jets.

It was in 2011 that another contract was signed that saw the Mirage 2000 jets being upgraded to Mirage 2000-5 Mk — increasing the life of the planes, which will now serve till 2030. The Mirage 2000 is powered by a single shaft engine called SNECMA M53, making it light and simple. The plane weighs 7,500 kg (dry) and has a total takeoff weight of 17,000 kg. The fighter jet can attain a maximum speed of Mach 2.2 (2,336 kmph) and can travel 1,550 km with drop tanks. It can touch a maximum height of 59000 feet. In comparison, India’s other fighter and more advanced fighter jet — the Russia-made Sukhoi Su30MKI has a speed of 2,120 kmph (Mach 2), slower than the Mirage-2000 and is heavier too.

This gives the Mirage-2000 an advantage in quick operations. The Mirage 2000 comes loaded with a fly-by-wire flight control system and Sextant VE-130 HUD, which displays data related to flight control, navigation, target engagement, and firing. The Mirage 2000 is capable of carrying laser-guided bombs, air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles. It also boasts of a Thomson-CSF RDY (Radar Doppler Multi-target) radar onboard. Apart from India, Mirage 2000 is used by France, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Peru, Taiwan, Peru, Greece and Brazil.

Used in Balakot strikes

On 26 February 2019, 20 fully armed Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft entered Pakistani airspace and dropped 1,000-kg laser-guided bombs on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror launch pads across the Line of Control. The Balakot strike was the first-ever air operation done by India in Pakistan beyond the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Balakot airstrike was New Delhi’s retaliation for the terrorist attack in Pulwama, where a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy was attacked and 42 personnel were killed.

Mirage 2000 vs F-16

Following the Balakot airstrike, there were many who questioned which was the better fighter between the Mirage 2000 and Pakistan’s F-16 Fighting Falcons, what they term is their deadliest arrow in its quiver. When it comes to speed, the Mirage 2000 can reach top speeds of up to Mach 2.2 or 2,336 km/hour at high altitude. On the other hand, the F-16 Falcon — manufactured by General Dynamics – now Lockheed Martin — for the US Air Force is comparatively slower. It can reach a maximum speed of over Mach 2. The Mirage 2000 boasts of nine hardpoints for ?e??s?s carriage and a combat range of 1,850 km. The F-16, however, boasts more ?e??s? storage capacity than the Mirage. In terms of climbing speed, the Mirage wins over the F-16. While the Mirage has a maximum climbing speed of 60,000 feet per minute, the F-16 reportedly manages 50,000 feet per minute. Additionally, the F-16 has a combat radius going up to 1,370 km with two bombs weighing around 907 kg each while the Mirage can go 1,475 km with four 250-kg bombs.

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It was the first launch of the extended-range version of the BrahMos missile from Su-30MKI aircraft. With this, the IAF has achieved the capability to carry out precision strikes from Su-30MKI aircraft against a land and sea target over very long ranges.

BrahMos Aerospace, an India-Russian joint venture, produces supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms. BrahMos missile flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound.

The range of the advanced version of the missile is learnt to have been extended to around 350 km from the original 290 km.

Last month, an anti-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired jointly by the Indian Navy and the Andaman and Nicobar Command. In a tweet, the Andaman and Nicobar Command said the test-firing was carried out.

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