France to Sell Advanced Artillery System to Armenia
France’s Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced Tuesday that his country will sell advanced artillery systems to Armenia as part of a deal signed on Monday between Yerevan and a French defense contractor. The deal has angered Baku, which has threatened retaliation.
The latest arms deal signed with the French KNDS manufacturer envisions Armenian acquiring the CAESAR self-propelled howitzer, known to be one of the most advanced artillery systems in the world.
“We continue to strengthen our defense relationship with Armenia,” Lecornu said Tuesday in a post on the X social media platform as he detailed his meeting on Monday with Armenia’s Defense Minister Suren Papikyan in Paris.
“New important start with the signing of a contract for the acquisition of CAESAR artillery system,” Lecornu added in his post.
The Armenian defense ministry announced on Monday that Papikyan and Lecornu met in Paris on the margins of the Eurosatory defense exposition. The ministry also announced that the two defense ministers were on hand when Armenia and KNDS signed the new agreement.
France pledged to advance Armenia’s military defense capabilities last fall when it signed perhaps the most comprehensive defense agreement with Armenia by a Western country. Earlier this year, the first shipment of such equipment arrived in Armenia, with promises of more, including assistance in training Armenian soldiers in combat readiness and defense.
The deal was criticized by both Moscow and Baku, both of which claimed that France was destabilizing the region and hindering peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The CAESAR Howitzers have a firing range of some 25 miles and were recently acquired by Ukraine for $3.3 million to $4.4 million each, according to Azatutyun.am
While attending the Eurosatory defense exposition in Paris, Papikyan met with representatives of defense manufacturers on Tuesday. According to Armenia’s Defense Ministry he has signed agreements with some of those companies.
Azerbaijan’s defense minister angrily reacted to the new arms deal, threatening retaliation.
“The fact that despite the warning of the Azerbaijani side, France supplies lethal and offensive artillery and other types of weapons to Armenia is another proof of France’s provocative activities in the South Caucasus region,” said Azerbaijan’s defense ministry.
“The Armenian leadership and Macron’s dictatorship will bear full responsibility for the creation of a new hotbed of war in the South Caucasus,” added the statement.
