Armenia intends to enter the global defense industry market: Military Industry Committee

YEREVAN, June 3. /ARКА/. Armenia aims to secure a worthy place on the global military-industrial production map, stated Aram Jivanyan, Chairman of the Military Industry Committee of the Armenian Ministry of High-Tech Industry.

"The military-industrial complex is today one of the most dynamically developing sectors of the economy. It is very difficult to clearly plan where we want to be in three to five years, as technology changes extremely rapidly. However, one of the key benchmarks should be Armenia's emergence on the international military-industrial production map," Jivanyan said during the RISE Powered by Silicon Mountains 2026 forum.

He noted that until recently, many countries were practically unaware of Armenia's defense developments and production capabilities.

Focus on Exports and International Integration

According to the committee head, exports could become a significant source of revenue for Armenian defense companies in the next three to five years.

"I believe that in three to five years, exports will constitute a significant portion of the business of our military-industrial companies. Several major international companies in the industry will also be represented in Armenia, and close business ties and integration into global production chains will emerge," he stated.

At the same time, Jivanyan emphasized, the top priority remains meeting the needs of the Armenian Armed Forces and strengthening the country's defense capability.

Aiming for Self-Sufficiency

The head of the Military Industry Committee reported that Armenia is already moving toward technological self-sufficiency in a number of areas.

"In three to five years, I believe, we will also become a self-sufficient country in several key areas," he noted.

According to him, the choice of priorities for the development of the military-industrial complex is determined by two factors: the current and future needs of the army, as well as global technological trends.

The General Staff is formulating a request for industry.

Djivanyan announced that systematic work with the General Staff to determine the army's future needs began in 2026.

"Together with the General Staff, we are taking stock of future needs, which should then be translated into specific development areas and even product specifications for the companies," he explained.

According to him, this work will allow for the establishment of clear guidelines for defense sector companies and the concentration of resources on the most in-demand developments.

Artificial Intelligence Changes the Rules of the Game

The head of the committee noted that the modern military-industrial complex is undergoing a large-scale technological transformation.

"What is currently happening in the technological sphere can be described by the term 'creative destruction.' New software, artificial intelligence-based solutions, and the integration of various sensor systems are changing the entire industry," said Djivanyan.

According to him, in these conditions, it is important for small countries not to try to cover many areas at once, but to focus on narrow niches in which they can offer the best world-class solutions.

Niche developments are already attracting global interest.

As an example, Jivanyan shared how one development by a small Armenian company has already attracted the interest of a global leader in the defense industry.

"We're not talking about a final product, but rather a specific technological solution for a specific functionality. But it's precisely in this niche that it has proven highly competitive," he noted.

According to him, it's precisely these highly specialized and high-quality developments that can enable Armenian companies to integrate into international production chains and strengthen the country's position in the global defense technology market.