Artsakh Defence Army
Արցախի Հանրապետության պաշտպանության բանակ
Patch
Founded9 May 1992
Disbanded21 September 2023
HeadquartersStepanakert
Leadership
Commander-in-ChiefSamvel Shahramanyan
Minister of Defence and Defence Forces CommanderLieutenant General Kamo Vardanyan
Personnel
Military age18
Conscription24 months
Active personnel~5,500 (before dissolution)[1]
Reserve personnel20,000–30,000[2] (before 2020)
Related articles
History

The Artsakh Defence Army (Armenian: Արցախի Հանրապետության պաշտպանության բանակ, romanized: Artsakhi Hanrapetut’yan pashtpanut’yan banak) was the defence force of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh. Established in 1992, it united previously disorganized self-defence units which were formed in the early 1990s with the goal of protecting the ethnic Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh from attacks by Soviet and Azerbaijani armed forces.[3]

It was disbanded on 21 September 2023 under the terms of Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement following the 2023 Azerbaijani military offensive.[4]

History

Establishment

The Artsakh Defence Army was founded on 9 May 1992. It created "its own central command and military structure distinct from the Armenian Army."[5] Its founders included Robert Kocharyan (the former President of Armenia, he was the first commander-in-chief of the Army);[6] Serzh Sargsyan (former Prime Minister and President of Armenia); Vazgen Sargsyan (Armenia's Defence Minister 1992–93, State Minister in Charge of defence 1993–95, Armenia's Prime Minister 1998–99);[6] Monte Melkonian (responsible for Martuni Province);[7] Samvel Babayan (Nagorno-Karabakh's Defence Minister from 1994 to 2000) and others.[6] Many of the men who served in its ranks and in the officer corps during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War were seasoned veterans of the Soviet military and had fought in the Soviet–Afghan War.[8]

First Nagorno-Karabakh War

The formal formation of the NKR Defence Army was rooted in the concept of the Jokat (volunteer detachment).[7] With the early outbreak of hostilities prior to 1992, Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh began forming small detachments of volunteers, often self-described as Fedayeen, inheriting the name of the fighters who actively resisted the Ottoman Empire in the final decades of the nineteenth and early decades of the twentieth centuries.

At the outset these detachments were small groups of no more than 12–40 men. For example, during Operation Ring, Shahumyan was defended by a force as small as 22 men under the command of Tatul Krpeyan. These volunteer militia would initially arm themselves with whatever was available, including hunting shotguns borrowed from local farmers and even home-made rifles. In the later stages of the war, these units armed themselves with AK-47s, RPGs and sometimes MANPADs, transforming the defence force into a highly mobile and flexible force that was capable of waging guerrilla warfare. Likewise, these units initially had no heavy military equipment, but later started taking over large quantities of Azerbaijani tanks and armored personnel carriers that were abandoned on the battlefield. Most of these captured tanks and APCs later became part of the NKR Defense Army's equipment. Improvization, multi-functionality, creativity, strong-morale, focus on defensive tactics, adaptation, flexibility, high-mobility and a native knowledge of the mountainous terrain are all important factors in understanding the combat success of these small units.

The initial purpose of these detachments, made up of volunteers, was mainly to defend Armenian civilian population, each in a particular village or town. Each of them was operating independently with no central command or leadership. Yet, these units would regularly collaborate in joint operations such as the battle of Khojaly in February 1992 or the June 1992 surprise counter-offensives during Operation Goranboy. The increasing scale and intensity of Azerbaijani attacks, the devastation caused by Grad multiple rocket launchers firing from Shusha and the Lachin, the blockade from mainland Armenia had broadened the notion of security beyond the mere defence of a small village. Capturing Shusha and Lachin as well as turning the tide of Operation Goranboy became, for the Armenians, not only a matter of security, but that of survival.[9] For the successful conduct of such large-scale operations, the detachments had to be consolidated under a single, unified command.

Mient Jan Faber argues that "August 1992 marked the watershed between purely voluntary Armenian Karabakh forces reinforced by volunteers from Armenia and an organised NKR army with its own central command and a military structure distinct from the Armenian army."[10]

Post war

The Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army's primary role after the conclusion of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1994 is the protection of the NKR from foreign and domestic threats. Though the war ended with the signing of a cease fire between Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan and the de facto independence of the NKR, the Azerbaijani leadership repeatedly threatened to restart hostilities to retake the region.[11] Violations of the cease fire along the line of contact were frequent and often resulted in the deaths of several soldiers and civilians each year. One of the most significant breaches of the ceasefire occurred in Martakert on 8 March 2008, when up to sixteen soldiers were killed. Both sides accused the other of starting the battle.[12] In June 2010, new skirmishes broke out between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops along the line of contact, resulting in the deaths of four Armenian servicemen.[13] Clashes in summer 2014 resulted in the deaths of six Armenian and thirteen Azerbaijani servicemen. On 12 November 2014, a Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army Mi-24 attack helicopter participating in the week-long joint Armenian–NKR Unity 2014 military exercises was shot down by the Azerbaijani military, killing all three crew members. On 1 April 2016 large scale clashes began along the line of contact, which lasted for four days and came to be known as the Four-Day War. According to several sources they were the worst since 1994. These clashes culminated in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, in which the Artsakh Defence Army was defeated while fighting against the military of Azerbaijan and Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan admitted that Turkey provided military and diplomatic backing to Azerbaijan during the fighting.[14][15] During the war, Turkey sent a number of Syrian opposition fighters as mercenaries to fight against Armenian forces, including fighters from Sultan Murad Division and Hamza Division.[16][17][18]

In May 2021, President Arayik Harutyunyan announced plans to transform the Defense Army into a professional combat force.[19]

It was disbanded on 21 September 2023 following the 2023 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes, as one of the conditions imposed by Azerbaijan to end the clashes.[4]

Structure

The Ministry of Defence serves as the chief administrative body of the Defence Army.

Chiefs of Staff

Defense Districts

The five Defense Districts were the following:

Central Defense District

NKR self-defense detachments were formed on 22 February 1988. At the end of 1991 and at the beginning of 1992, more than ten volunteer detachments and detachments were formed in Stepanakert and included more than a thousand fighters. Motorized regiments were then formed on the basis of the following structure:

  • 1st Motorized Rifle Battalion
  • 2nd Motorized Rifle Battalion
  • 3rd Motorized Rifle Battalion

In September 1989, the Central Defense District (also known as the Stepanakert Defense District) was formed on the basis of those battalions. The 8th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade is part of the district, being formed on 14 October 1992. It is named after "Commander Vazgen Sargsyan".[20][21]

Hadrut Defense District

Its first battalion was formed on 16 July 1992.[22] The district was formed in September 1992, in accordance with the order of the Chairman of the Committee for Self-Defense of the Artsakh Republic in August 1992.

Martuni Defense District

It was formed in September 1991 by the order of the President on the basis of self-defense detachments and platoon operating in the region. The Mataghis Military Unit is part of the district. It was based in the Madagiz settlement of the Martakert Province. In May 2017, the commander and two deputies of the military unit were dismissed after 3 soldiers drowned after their UAZ-315195 vehicle fell into a reservoir.[23][24] Among its notable commanders was Mikael Arzumanyan, the current Commander of the Defense Army, serving as the commander of the unit at the age of 22.[25][26]

Shahumyan Defensive Region

The Yeghnikner ("The Deers") Detachment was founded on 11 March 1993 and is considered to be one of the most elite units of the army of the unrecognized republic. It originated from a partisan unit created by Shahen Meghryan, which was formed on 25 June 1992 from self-defense detachments of the district villages. Among its symbols were the coat of arms of the Meliks of Gulistan and its unit banner. The Shahumyan Defensive Region (SDR) was formed by the Chairman of the Self Defense Committee in March 1993, originally incorporating two battalions Between 1993 and 1994, SDR units participated in battles and operations in Martakert and Shahumyan.[27][28]

On 2 October 2021, President Arayik Harutyunyan conferred the title of Hero of Artsakh on the commander of the Yeghnikner unit Karen Jalavyan.[29] After the 2020 war, rumors on the Internet claimed that the unit had to leave its positions, which was denied by the commander.[30][31][32]

Askeran Defense District

Askeran Defense District was formed by the order of the NKR IPC President of August 14, 1992. There are 4 rifle battalions in the district:

  • 1st Rifle Battalion
  • 2nd Rifle Battalion
  • 3rd Rifle Battalion
  • 4th Rifle Battalion

Personnel

According to Richard Giragosian, the Artsakh Defence Army was composed of around 20,000 officers and soldiers and maintains a "constant state of readiness, undergoing more serious combat training and operational exercises than any other former Soviet army."[8] The Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army maintains a small air force with a personnel of around 250 men.[2] The Army is a conscript force, with there also being a growing number of professional officers.

Personnel units

Special Forces

The Special Forces of the Artsakh Defense Army was established in 2000. Based on the previous National Guard, it carries out both of planned and unplanned combat operations. Among its notable commanders were Samvel Harutyunyan. On 11 August 2010, a memorial fountain was unveiled in Aygestan community of Askeran region on August 10 in memory of the fallen soldiers of the Special Forces. The memorial was built with the financial means of the former and current servicemen of the detachment.[33] Their professional holiday is on 5 November.[34]

Engineer Battalion

The Defense Army has an engineering battalion that is involved in the clearance of minefields of strategic importance. It was formed on 1 February 1995.[35] Roles Aghajanyan was the first head of the Defence Army engineering services.[36]

Educational institutions

Equipment

The Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army's equipment consists of infantry, tanks, artillery and anti-aircraft systems. The Karabakh army's heavy military hardware includes: 186[37][38] tanks, 68[37][38] armoured vehicles, 98[37][38] artillery pieces of calibres over 122mm, 44 multiple rocket launchers[37] (most likely BM-21 Grad), and an anti-aircraft defence system of an unspecified type[37] WM-80, Scud-B: at least 4 launchers.

As for infantry, most rely on the AK-74 rifle and older AKMs in reserve for standard-issue rifles. Other basic weapons consist of Makarov PM pistols, PK machine guns, and RPG-7 rocket launchers, all mostly supplied by Armenia. The Nagorno-Karabakh military is deeply integrated with the Armenian military, and the NKR depends on the Armenian Army to ensure its survival as an independent national entity. Armenia considers any act of aggression against Karabakh as an act of aggression against itself.[8]

Ground Forces

Small arms

Name Origin Type Image Notes
Pistols
Makarov  Soviet Union 9×18mm
Assault rifles
AKM  Soviet Union 7.62×39mm
AK-103  Russia 7.62×39mm
AK-74  Soviet Union 5.45×39mm Standard rifle of Artsakh Defence Army.
AK-74M  Armenia
 Russia		 5.45×39mm
AKS-74U  Soviet Union 5.45×39mm
Sniper rifles
SVD  Soviet Union 7.62×54 mm
Zastava M93 Black Arrow  Serbia 12.7×108mm [39]
Machine guns
RPK-74  Soviet Union 5.45×39mm
Zastava M72  Yugoslavia 7.62×39mm
PK  Soviet Union 7.62×54 mm
DShK  Soviet Union 12.7×108mm
NSV  Soviet Union 12.7×108mm

Artsakh Defence Army's equipment (before dissolution)

Available estimates vary with reference to military holdings in Nagorno-Karabakh and must be treated with caution due to the heavy levels of attrition in the 2020 conflict and subsequent clashes.[40]

Model Image Origin Quantity Details
Tanks
T-72AV  Soviet Union ~20 [40]
T-72B  Soviet Union [40]
T-90S  Russia ~1 [40]
Reconnaissance
BRDM-2  Soviet Union n/a [40]
Armoured fighting vehicles
MT-LB  Soviet Union
 Armenia		 3+[41] Armed with a Zastava M55 anti-aircraft gun.[41]
Infantry fighting vehicles
BMP-1  Soviet Union ~50 [40]
BMP-2  Soviet Union ~100 [40]
Anti armor weapons
9K111-1 Konkurs  Soviet Union n/a [40]
SPG-9  Soviet Union n/a [40]
Towed artillery
KS-19  Soviet Union 1+[41] Used in the ground role.[41]
D-30  Soviet Union 16+[41] [40]
D-20  Soviet Union 9+[41]
2A36 Giatsint-B  Soviet Union 3+[41]
120mm M75 mortar  Yugoslavia 3+[41]
Hell cannon  Armenia 5+ Used in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh war.[42]
Multiple rocket launchers
BM-21 Grad  Soviet Union n/a [40]
Self-propelled surface-to-air missile (sam) systems
9K331 Tor-M1  Soviet Union 1+[41] [40]
9K33 Osa  Soviet Union 3+[41] [40]
Man-portable air-defense systems
9K38 Igla  Soviet Union n/a [40]
9K310 Igla-1  Soviet Union n/a [40]
Utility vehicles
UAZ-452  Soviet Union 5+[41]
UAZ-469  Soviet Union 2+[41]
UAZ Patriot  Russia 1+[41]
Trucks
ZIL 131  Soviet Union 4+[41]
GAZ-3308  Russia 1+[41]
KAMAZ  Russia 7+ 4x4 and 6x6 versions were used.[41]
Ural-4320  Russia 23+ The Ural-43206 variant was also used.[41]
Unmanned aerial vehicles
DJI Mavic 3  China 2+[41]

Military holidays

Shushi Liberation Day (9 May) and Homeland Defender's Day (28 January) are two military holidays celebrated by the Defence Army. The former commemorates the founding of the military as well as the Capture of Shusha and the traditional Victory Day celebrations commemorating the surrender of Nazi Germany at the end of the Great Patriotic War in 1945. Because of this, it is sometimes referred to as a "triple holiday". An annual military parade[43] is held in the capital, with a reception being held at the local House of Officers in the capital.

Whereas the Armenian Army celebrates Army Day on 28 January, the Defence Army celebrates Homeland Defender's Day on the same day.[44]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Military Balance 2023 numbers". iiss.org. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  2. 1 2 Blandy, C. W. "Azerbaijan: Is War Over Nagornyy Karabakh a Realistic Option? Archived 2016-04-15 at the Wayback Machine" Advanced Research and Assessment Group. Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Caucasus Series 08/17, 2008, p.16.
  3. ↑ Important Facts about the NKR Defence Army (Nagorno Karabakh Army) Archived 1 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Office of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Washington, D.C. Accessed 27 November 2009.
  4. 1 2 "Azerbaijan Ends Fighting in Disputed Region as Armenians Concede". Bloomberg.com. 20 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  5. ↑ Dzelilovic, Vesna Bojicic. "From Humanitarianism to Reconstruction: Towards an Alternative Approach to Economic and Social Recovery from War" in Global Insecurity (Restructuring the Global Military Sector), Vol. 3, eds. Mary Kaldor and Basker Vashee. London: Pinter, 2000, p. 79.
  6. 1 2 3 De Waal, Thomas (2003). Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War. New York: New York University Press. pp. 196–97, 210. ISBN 0-8147-1945-7.
  7. 1 2 Melkonian, Markar (2005). My Brother's Road, An American's Fateful Journey to Armenia. New York: I. B. Tauris. pp. 184ff. ISBN 1-85043-635-5.
  8. 1 2 3 Giragosian, Richard. "Armenia and Karabakh: One Nation, Two States." AGBU Magazine 19/1 (May 2009), pp. 12–13.
  9. ↑ See Melkonian. My Brother's Road, p. 225.
  10. ↑ Mient Jan Faber in Mary Kaldor, Global Insecurity: Restructuring the Global Military Sector, volume III UNU/WIDER, London and New York: Pinter, 2000, p. 79. ISBN 9781855676442.
  11. ↑ "Azeri Assault on Karabakh Outpost Kills Four Armenian Soldiers Archived 25 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine." Asbarez. 21 June 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  12. ↑ Yevgrashina, Lada and Hasmik Mkrtchyan. "Azeris, Armenians spar after major Karabakh clash Archived 7 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine". Reuters. 5 March 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2008.
  13. ↑ "OSCE, EU Condemn Karabakh 'Armed Incident' Archived 27 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine." RFE/RL. 22 June 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  14. ↑ "Turkey's Erdogan, at Nagorno-Karabakh parade, says Armenia needs new leaders". Reuters. 10 December 2020. Archived from the original on 4 January 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  15. ↑ "Erdogan admitted that Turkey supported Azerbaijan in the war against Artsakh". 9 December 2020. Archived from the original on 4 January 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  16. ↑ "The Syrian mercenaries used as 'cannon fodder' in Nagorno-Karabakh". BBC News. 10 December 2020. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  17. ↑ McKernan, Bethan (28 September 2020). "Syrian rebel fighters prepare to deploy to Azerbaijan in sign of Turkey's ambition". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  18. ↑ "Nagorno-Karabakh: At least three Syrian fighters killed | Armenia | the Guardian". Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  19. ↑ LLC, Helix Consulting. "Professional army to be formed in Artsakh, where contract servicemen will play important role – Artsakh president – aysor.am – Hot news from Armenia". www.aysor.am. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  20. ↑ "Նախագահ Սահակյանը մասնակցել է 8-րդ առանձին մոտոհրաձգային բրիգադի հիմնադրման 25-ամյակին նվիրված միջոցառմանը". artsakhpress.am. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  21. ↑ "Բակո Սահակյանը մասնակցել է 8-րդ առանձին մոտոհրաձգային բրիգադի հիմնադրման 25-ամյակին նվիրված միջոցառմանը (ԼՈՒՍԱՆԿԱՐՆԵՐ)". armedia.am (in Armenian). Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  22. ↑ "Հադրութի պաշտպանական շրջանի առաջին մոտոհրաձգային գումարտակ | historyofarmenia.am.am". www.historyofarmenia-am.armin.am. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  23. ↑ "Artsakh military unit's commander and deputies dismissed after drowning incident including soldiers". armenpress.am. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  24. ↑ "՛Officers expelled from Mataghis military unit had passed a military path, it was a painful decision՛: minister". www.aravot-en.am. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  25. ↑ "Armenian analyst: New Artsakh army chief was commander of Mataghis military unit at 22 – Opera News". www.dailyadvent.com. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  26. ↑ "Armenian analyst: New Artsakh army chief was commander of Mataghis military unit at 22". Armenian News. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  27. ↑ "ԲԱՑԱՌԻԿ ՖՈՏՈՌԵՊՈՐՏԱԺ, ՏԵՍԱՆՅՈՒԹ՝ Արցախի Հանրապետության "Եղնիկներ" զորամասից. լեգենդար զորամասում ներկա և ապագա լեգենդները նշեցին զորամասի կազմավորման 25-ամյակը". Լուրեր Հայաստանից | Shamshyan.com (in Armenian). Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  28. ↑ "Documentary About The "Yeghnikner" Detachment – "Dark Forest In The Mountains" | Art-A-Tsolum". 11 February 2020. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  29. ↑ "Командира элитной воинской части НКР наградили за взятие важных высот". РИА Новости (in Russian). 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  30. ↑ "Five main mysteries Of the second Karabakh war". ВПК.name. 16 November 2020. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  31. ↑ "Artsakh army refused to fulfill agreements on Karabakh". avia-pro.net. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  32. ↑ "Soldiers of Yeghnikner military unit continue their combat duty". 13 November 2020.
  33. ↑ "Հուշաղբյուր' ԼՂՀ ՊԲ հատուկ նշանակության ջոկատի զոհված զինվորների հիշատակին". Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  34. ↑ LLC, Academy Of Development. "Այսօր հետախույզի օրն է | ԼՂՀ պաշտպանության նախարարության պաշտոնական կայք". nkrmil.am (in Armenian). Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  35. ↑ LLC, Academy Of Development. "Զորամասի օր | ԼՂՀ պաշտպանության նախարարության պաշտոնական կայք". nkrmil.am (in Armenian). Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  36. ↑ "Աղաջանյան Ռոլես Գեորգիի". www.nankr.am. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  37. 1 2 3 4 5 DeRouen, Karl and Uk Heo (eds.) Civil Wars of the World: Major Conflicts since World War II. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2007, p. 151.
  38. 1 2 3 Hans-Joachim Schmidt, "Military Confidence Building and Arms Control in Unresolved Territorial Conflicts Archived 15 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine", PRIF Reports No 89, Frankfurt am Main, 2009, p.12.
  39. ↑ "Հետք". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  40. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 International Institute for Strategic Studies (15 February 2023). The Military Balance 2023 (1st ed.). Routledge. pp. 175–176. ISBN 978-1032508955.
  41. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Janovsky, Jakub; Dan; Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost; Kemal (20 September 2023). "Documenting Equipment Losses During The September 2023 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict". Oryx. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  42. ↑ Janovsky, Jakub; Dan; Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost; Kemal. "The Fight For Nagorno-Karabakh: Documenting Losses On The Sides Of Armenia And Azerbaijan". Oryx. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  43. ↑ "Պաշտպանության բանակի զորահանդեսները". Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  44. ↑ "President of Artsakh addresses congratulatory message on Army Day » Armenian News".
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