France to Send 50 Bastion Armored Vehicles to Armenia

France is set to provide Armenia with a total of 50 Bastion armored vehicles, manufactured by the company Arquus, with the possibility of a deal to supply Caesar artillery systems, as reported by the Armenian state news agency Armenpress, referencing an internal document from the French Senate.

To date, 24 armored vehicles have already been delivered to Armenia, with an additional 26 in production and set to arrive later.

"Armenia recently signed an order for three GM200 radars from Thales and there is talk of a delivery of MISTRAL 3 surface-to-air missiles. The rapporteurs are able to indicate that 24 Bastion-type armored vehicles, produced by the French group Arquus, are being delivered to Armenia and should be joined by 26 other vehicles of the same type currently in production. The French authorities have initiated the delivery of "defensive" weapons to Armenia. <...> Let's not repeat the same mistakes by late delivering equipment that would have been necessary from the start. This is why we must respond quickly to all the requests from the Armenian authorities, particularly regarding their need for artillery. The rapporteurs recommend, in this regard, that the delivery of CAESAR artillery systems be studied as soon as possible taking into account the effectiveness of this equipment and the new production capacities of Nexter in 2024," Armenpress quoted the text of the document.

Armenia has sought to diversify its arms acquisitions due to reported delays in receiving weapons paid for by Russia.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna expressed readiness for a military assistance agreement during a press conference in Yerevan on October 3.

In addition to France, India is also prepared to supply arms to Armenia. The deals are worth a total of $244.7 million and have already included the delivery of Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles, and ammunition via a transportation corridor through Iran. This marks the first international sale of Indian-designed Pinaka launchers.