Aram Jivanyan: Armenia must appear on the map of the global defense industry

Armenia has already achieved its first successes in exporting military products, created enterprises capable of producing thousands of units per year, and is gradually building its own defense industry. However, further development of the sector requires new personnel, international partnerships, and access to global markets. Aram Jivanyan, Chairman of the Military-Industrial Committee of Armenia, told NEWS.am Tech about this.

According to him, the main task today is for Armenia to take its place on the map of the global defense industry and transform from a developer of individual solutions into a full-fledged player in the international market.

From programming to production

After 2020, military-industrial production became one of Armenia's priority development areas. At the same time, the country faces challenges typical of any industrial production: manufacturing requires solving logistics issues, component supplies, organizing production processes, and training personnel.

"The military industry is mistakenly perceived as just working with metal. Production processes are becoming increasingly automated, using modern machinery and complex technological solutions. This is one of the most high-tech sectors, where programmers, engineers, physicists, and mathematicians must all work," Jivanyan noted.

Discussions are currently underway on projects to introduce elements of dual education and create specialized colleges for training technical specialists.

However, the committee chairman believes that the growth of the industry itself is the main factor in developing human capital.

"When demand arises, supply appears. Our industry has already begun to create demand for physicists, engineers, and other specialists. This is precisely what gradually makes these professions more attractive to talented youth," Jivanyan emphasized.

Exports: politics, logistics, and new markets

According to the head of the Military-Industrial Committee, developing domestic production is impossible without access to foreign markets. At the same time, exporting military products is connected not only to technology and business but also to political decisions, international relations, and complex logistics.

Jivanyan noted that Armenia does not plan to export products to countries in armed conflict.

"We will not export products to any country in conflict. As for other states, we try to work as broadly as possible and seek all possible avenues of cooperation," the specialist said.

According to him, exporting weapons and defense products is a difficult task, but the first successes already achieved are fundamentally important.

"We are encountering these challenges for the first time. It is not easy. But the very fact that we already have initial successes is very important. We will accumulate experience, and beyond that, much will depend on business development, the talent of specialists, and political decisions," the committee chairman said.

A small country as a competitive advantage

One of the key questions remains the competitiveness of Armenian products on the global market, where large and long-established players already exist.

According to Jivanyan, Armenia cannot be competitive in all segments of the defense industry, but it can carve out its own niches.

He drew an analogy with sports, noting that small size is not always a disadvantage.

"In sumo, size is not the most important factor. Very often, a good athlete knows how to turn their small build into an advantage. Similarly, a small country in certain situations can gain advantages over larger players," he noted.

The committee chairman did not disclose in detail what exactly these advantages are, merely emphasizing that Armenia is already beginning to find areas in which it can successfully compete on the global market.

"We must enter the global game," he emphasized.

From prototypes to serial production

One of the main challenges for any high-tech industry is transitioning from creating experimental samples to mass production.

According to Jivanyan, enterprises have already appeared in Armenia that have managed to make this transition.

Whereas before the focus was primarily on developing individual prototypes, today there are factories with full-fledged production lines capable of producing thousands of units annually.

"We already have successful enterprises where the issue is not about creating one prototype, but about having production lines capable of producing thousands of products according to customer needs," he noted.

It is the existence of such production facilities, in his opinion, that indicates the industry's transition to a new stage of development.

Does the defense industry need publicity?

At the RISE exhibition and forum, for which NEWS.am Tech was an information partner, products from dozens of Armenian defense industry companies were presented. However, it is often said that the military industry requires maximum secrecy.

Jivanyan believes there is no contradiction between the need to maintain confidentiality and the need to demonstrate achievements.

"We do not show everything," he emphasized.

According to him, the Military-Industrial Committee traditionally conducts very restrained public communication. However, from time to time it is necessary to demonstrate results.

"Showing that you are moving forward does not mean disclosing all tactical and technical characteristics or secret parameters. But showing the direction of development is often much more important and beneficial for the industry," the committee chairman noted.

He recalled that similar practices are used worldwide. Countries regularly participate in international exhibitions and showcase their latest developments without disclosing sensitive information.

Furthermore, such events help find partners, develop international contacts, and attract young specialists to the industry.

RISE as a platform for new connections

Speaking about his expectations for the RISE forum, Jivanyan noted several areas at once.

First and foremost is international cooperation. The forum brought together foreign guests who had the opportunity to get acquainted with the Armenian industry in a short time and find potential partners.

He also considers strengthening ties within the Armenian industry itself to be no less important.

"Armenia is a small country, but I am confident that our companies still have great potential for closer cooperation with each other. Such platforms help understand how companies can be useful to one another," he noted.

However, Jivanyan considers the main achievement of recent years not to be production growth or new technologies.

"I consider the greatest achievement to be the restored faith in our own strengths and capabilities," stated the Chairman of the Military-Industrial Committee.

According to him, society must see the results of the industry's development with its own eyes. It is this confidence in their own capabilities that will become the foundation for further growth of the defense industry and the emergence of new projects.

"We hope that RISE will help convey this positive signal to society and serve as an impetus for the next stages of development," he concluded.