Armenia has reportedly contacted India to ask about purchasing theater quasi-ballistic missiles; this action was probably instigated by Azerbaijan’s recent deployment of the Israeli-manufactured LORA system. With a 400km range, the LORA became an issue for Armenia in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The use of Azerbaijan in the last stages of the war, especially against the Lachin corridor bridge, demonstrated the possible threat it poses. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for possible LORA production in India was signed at Aero India 2023 by Bharat Electronics and IAI. This license arrangement is probably still in its early phases, though.
The Prahaar is a 200km tactical ballistic missile developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Although they haven’t been formally recruited yet, the Indian military currently prefers the Pralay missile system which has a range of 500 km.
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It’s still unclear what precisely Armenia is requesting, and how India would respond. Such weapons are delicate, which adds another level of difficulty.
Notably, Armenia already uses the 90-kilometer-range Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launchers (MBRLs) from India. The desire of Armenia to obtain longer-range missiles highlights the continuous tensions in the region.
It is unclear if India will grant Armenia’s request; considerations such as continuing license agreements and national security priorities may influence the outcome.
