Military expert: Acquisitions within the framework of a new loan agreement of $ 100 million will protect the airspace of Armenia from surprises

ArmInfo. New acquisitions  within the framework of the $ 100 million loan agreement with Russia  will protect the airspace of Armenia from various surprises. Such an  opinion ArmInfo was expressed by the Caucasus department of the  Institute of CIS countries, military expert Vladimir Evseev.  In  accordance with the credit agreement of the governments of Armenia  and Russia, a loan of $ 100 million is granted for 20 years, of which  5 years - under preferential 3% per annum. Armenia will co-finance a  loan in the amount of 10% of the total cost of the agreement.

According to the intermediate program of defense spending for  2018-2020. Armenia plans to increase the defense budget annually by $  60 million to increase military spending by 4% of GDP. At present,  Armenia's military expenditures are about 3.6% of GDP or about $ 450  million.

"Considering the advantage gained by Azerbaijan with the help of  Israel over Armenia in the area of air defense, Yerevan today  desperately needs shock systems." The Armed Forces of Armenia are  strengthening their military capabilities, seeking to acquire weapons  from the Russian Federation that could further strengthen it,  primarily air defense systems and heavy, division artillery, "- he  said.  According to the first Armenian-Russian agreement on granting  Armenia a loan of $ 200 million, the Armed Forces of the Republic  purchased rocket launchers 9K58 SAM , passive radio  technical reconnaissance , flamethrower systems TOS-1A  , armored vehicles , anti-tank missile systems  , antitank grenade launchers RPG-26, small arms,  engines and sights for tanks T-72 and BMP, communications equipment,  engineering equipment, KamAZ.

The agreement on granting a loan on preferential terms - to start a  loan with a 3% rate Yerevan will start only in 2018 in rubles for 10  years, and an advance payment of only 10% was concluded in 2015.