Armenia to shorten military service to 18 months starting winter 2025 draft
panorama
Armenia plans to cut the length of mandatory military service from 24 to 18 months starting with the 2025 winter draft, Deputy Defense Minister Arman Sargsyan said at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, presenting the relevant draft law.
The change will apply to conscripts called up from January 7, while those already serving as of January 1, 2026, will complete their original terms. Sargsyan claims the army’s staffing needs have increasingly been met through contract soldiers, noting that 4,220 troops now serve under the Homeland Defender program..
