Armenian government outlines defense, security priorities in 2026-2031 program

The Armenian government has outlined a series of security and defense priorities in its 2026-2031 program, including transforming the Armed Forces, strengthening border and migration management, combating crime, and improving disaster preparedness, food security, information security and cybersecurity.

“Peace is the only effective and reliable guarantee of security, and the Republic of Armenia, its citizens, and public and political circles must take daily care of peace in order to strengthen it and make it more institutionalized, irreversible and guaranteed,” the Armenian government’s 2026-2031 program states.

“Raising the country’s defense capabilities, managing borders and migration flows, continuously developing counterintelligence, intelligence, counterterrorism and constitutional order protection capabilities, combating crime, disaster risk management, information, food and energy security, cybersecurity, the security of critical infrastructure, and introducing a comprehensive defense and security system play a significant role in ensuring security. The latter aims to ensure the development throughout society of a culture of military and emergency preparedness and appropriate response. The result of combining these factors is the formation of the state’s comprehensive resilience,” the program states.

Armed Forces

The Armed Forces are a reserve instrument for ensuring external security in cases when the political and diplomatic measures listed above and aimed at ensuring external security have not worked. The Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia must not be used outside the internationally recognized territory of the Republic of Armenia, except when involved in international peacekeeping missions on the basis of international treaties, and must serve exclusively the purpose of defending the internationally recognized territory of the Republic of Armenia.

Accordingly, the government will ensure the technological, capability and cultural transformation of the Armed Forces and their continued transition to a professional army, raising the country’s defense capabilities by expanding and diversifying military and military-technical cooperation. The Armed Forces’ weaponry and material and technical resources will increase, including through the development of the capabilities of Armenia’s defense industry.

The following reforms will be implemented in this direction:

The continued transition to a professional army will be carried out by creating more favorable conditions for the recruitment of contract (professional) military personnel, including through the introduction of new systems for military service education, combat training, remuneration, career development, promotion, human resource recruitment and management, reserves, moral and psychological support, and social guarantees. Particular attention will be paid to the involvement of women in the Armed Forces. The capabilities of the Armed Forces will be developed, ensuring the preparedness of the Armed Forces’ leadership and management system, their provision with weapons and military equipment, human resources, material and technical resources and support means, and the improvement of planning and other systems, resulting in the alignment of the Armed Forces’ objectives, tasks and capabilities. The digital transformation of the Armed Forces and their management system will be carried out, including the digitization of command-and-control processes, and the introduction of a modern electronic information system for pre-conscription registration, conscription, the involvement of reservists in training exercises, mobilization preparation and human resource management. The system will also include processes for organizing medical examinations and recording their results. A new system of operational, professional and strategic reserves for replenishing regular forces and maintaining permanent combat readiness will be introduced. Military educational institutions will be brought into line with the standards of advanced Western countries, centers of excellence will be established, and a fully independent national military education system in the defense sector will be developed. Housing issues will be addressed in stages for contract military personnel registered for housing in accordance with the procedure established by law, persons equated to them, former military personnel discharged from service in accordance with the established procedure, as well as family members of fallen (deceased) military personnel and former military personnel with profound, severe or moderate functional limitations. The long-term defense procurement system from local producers, in line with the Armed Forces’ future needs, will be improved; joint production of ammunition and military equipment with foreign partners will be localized; and capabilities will be created within the Armed Forces for the maintenance, repair and modernization of existing military equipment.

Border and migration management

Comprehensive border management will contribute not only to ensuring guarantees for the country’s security environment, but also to facilitating passenger flows and export and import processes, and strengthening and modernizing traceability and control mechanisms. Transforming the Republic of Armenia from an exit direction into an entry and transit direction makes it vital to increase the effectiveness of migration management.

The following reforms will be implemented in this direction:

The areas of state border protection by Armenian border guards will be gradually expanded, with the prospect of assuming full responsibility for border protection. A comprehensive border management system in line with EU and international best standards will be introduced, including through modern border management biometric technologies and digital solutions. The border guard service will be transformed by reducing its military component and integrating international best practices. Comprehensive modernization of migration management will be carried out by clarifying visa policy, strengthening entry and residence mechanisms, preventing irregular migration, establishing voluntary and forced return mechanisms, and continuously developing the asylum system. A new biometric system meeting the highest international standards will be introduced, equipped with future-oriented solutions and regularly updated with innovations in the field.

Combating crime

To address modern internal security challenges and ensure effective crime prevention, the state’s policy will be based on two complementary directions: on the one hand, strengthening lawful behavior in society, combating crime and the causes and conditions contributing to its emergence and reproduction, including by developing public intolerance toward the criminal subculture and strengthening trust between citizens and the law enforcement system; and on the other hand, through the technological re-equipment and continuous development of the capabilities of the law enforcement system.

The following reforms will be implemented in this direction:

Criminological analytical capabilities, including through the use of AI, will be modernized by introducing modern analytical tools for assessing crime patterns, spatial distribution, risks and threats, adopting new methodologies for forecasting crime trends, early identification of risks, improving prevention effectiveness and making evidence-based decisions. Systemic mechanisms for combating the criminal subculture as a risk factor for crime and its characteristic behavioral models will be developed by establishing zero tolerance and rejection of them in society, strengthening the values of the rule of law and lawful behavior, and ensuring a firm and uncompromising response by law enforcement bodies to any manifestation of them. The institutional transformation of the country’s video surveillance systems will be carried out based on the “Smart City” model to ensure public safety, combat crime and ensure road traffic safety, in line with the principles of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation. The operational-intelligence system will be modernized. “Digital Police” will be established, including the AI-based “AI Police” in the digital environment to ensure citizens’ security, provide around-the-clock (24/7) accessible services, launch a cyber laboratory, assess risks, profile individuals and introduce other modern digital tools, as well as develop the police’s digital capabilities. The functional scope of the “112” unified operational management center will be expanded by incorporating emergency medical assistance calls into the unified emergency call reception and operational management system, with the aim of providing emergency response services to the population through a single platform. Legislation regulating the circulation of weapons will be revised to bring it in line with modern challenges in combating crime and international best practices.

Disaster risk management

The development of the disaster risk management system is centered on increasing the resilience of the state, communities and population through strengthening disaster risk reduction and early warning capabilities.

The following reforms will be implemented in this direction:

A comprehensive multi-hazard early warning and hydrometeorological hazard early warning system will be introduced; river basin modeling and risk assessments for floods and other hydrometeorological hazards will be carried out, as will the introduction of digitized tools for risk assessment and management. Disaster risk management plans will be updated and digitized, and systems and equipment providing rescue personnel with real-time situational awareness and operational information about the incident site will be introduced. Unified fire safety standards will be adopted to introduce risk-based approaches and increase the effectiveness of fire prevention. Comprehensive and large-scale modernization of the seismic monitoring network will be carried out, including the acquisition of state-of-the-art seismic monitoring and measurement equipment unprecedented in the region, significantly expanding capabilities for early earthquake detection, accurate data analysis and seismic risk assessment. A disaster risk insurance model will be introduced to improve the financial management of losses resulting from disasters and the effectiveness of recovery.

Food security

The following reforms will be implemented in the area of food security:

A new model of material reserves will be developed to ensure food security and establish the food stocks necessary for crisis situations. A list of food products to be held for crisis situations will be developed according to a logic whereby the necessary food products included in the list are represented by several interchangeable types, thereby diversifying potential risks in their procurement and storage and minimizing external dependence. Self-sufficiency in products of animal origin will be increased: beef from 88% to 93%, and milk from 78.6% to 88.7%.

Information and cybersecurity

The state is adopting the principle of “cybersecurity by design” and guarantees the resilience of state information systems and the continuity of digital services.

The following reforms will be implemented in this direction:

Vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, round-the-clock monitoring and rapid incident response mechanisms will be introduced for all critical infrastructure. Capacities necessary for implementing international best standards (EU NIS 2, ISO/IEC 27001) in the private and public sectors will be developed, including for the early warning, early detection and rapid resolution of cyber threats. Under a unified policy implemented by the government, a National Cyber Defense Center (NCDC) will be established within the National Security Service, capable of addressing modern challenges, equipped with modern software and technical capabilities, compliant with international standards and staffed with highly qualified personnel, in the areas of defense, national security and foreign relations. Programs aimed at developing public awareness and educational capabilities will be implemented to raise the level of cyber maturity in society.

Strengthening society’s information resilience is also key, with a focus on the following reforms:

Targeted measures will be implemented to prevent, detect early and reduce the impact of foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), disinformation and fake digital content (synthetic (AI) content and deepfakes). Citizens’ media and digital literacy capabilities will be strengthened at all levels of education and through lifelong learning, focusing on the critical assessment of information, recognition of disinformation, cybersecurity and responsible digital behavior, with particular attention to children and young people. The legal framework for ensuring children’s online safety will be improved by establishing regulations concerning children’s online rights, protection from harmful content, including on social networks, the responsibilities of digital service providers, and the safe use of digital devices in schools.