Talking about D-30 in 21st century is sign of ignorance – Avetik Kerobyan

The fighting spirit of a soldier, together with combat readiness, is the most important factor for victory; when that spirit is absent, the army is doomed to defeat, Avetik Kerobyan, a board member of the “Hayakve” association and former chairman of the Military Industry Committee, said in an interview with Alpha News.

“We see today that through various statements and actions, attempts are being made to break that fighting spirit. For example, today we have a conditional border that at any moment can turn into the frontline of combat operations. In other words, we are dependent on the whims of our hostile neighbors. The balance is so disrupted that at any moment we may suffer territorial losses, it only depends on Aliyev’s will. Under these conditions, talking about army reforms is simply pointless,” Kerobyan said.

Speaking about the Defense Ministry’s acquisition of the D-30 weapon system, he emphasized:

“It is simply unacceptable to talk about that in the 21st century. Using the term ‘D-30’ in a professional discussion is already a sign of ignorance. It is a long-outdated concept. It would be different if the conversation were about mortars, which are more effective in our conditions, lighter, and are produced today in Armenia. Soon we will also see self-loading mortars. That is something worth discussing. It is a system that is constantly modernized and actively used in the arsenals of developed military-industrial countries. But to talk about a mid-20th century development is simply ridiculous, and to raise such a topic on Army Day is even more cynical.”