Armenian Soldiers Seen Wearing Indian Made Night Vision during Eagle Partner 2024

Armenian servicemen participating in the recent Eagle Partner military exercises were seen outfitted with Spartan-S thermal devices, made by the Indian defense contractor Tonbo Imaging. This signals that Armenia may be seeking to replace its older Russian night vision devices as relations between the two continue to degrade..The Exercise.Eagle Partner 2024 focuses on developing the partnership between the United States and Armenia through joint exercises, particularly ones involving Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs), and is hosted at the Zar training base in Armenia. Participants included the Kansas National Guard and the Armenian 12th Peacekeeping Brigade. The purpose of the exercise is to increase interoperability between Armenia and the United States and focus on adaptability in both armies..India's Growing Defense Industry.Through continued sales worldwide, the Indian defense industry continues to expand as it sells equipment, munitions, and aircraft to other nations, making it one of the top exporters in the region. Armenia might continue to look to India as a partner to slowly replace older inventory, such as Soviet, Yugoslavian, and other Cold War-era equipment..Indian weapons sales to Armenia have increased significantly within the last three years, with Armenia purchasing several weapons systems, such as the Zen anti-drone systems, Pinaka Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS), the Akash Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM), and the SSS Defense 338 Sabre rifle, in deals totaling hundreds of millions of dollars..The United States exports the most night vision in both the military and civilian markets worldwide and will likely continue to do so. The night vision market is expected to grow by around $8–10 billion by the 2030s, with the United States possibly maintaining dominance over the market. While India will likely not have the ability to compete with the United States or China, the sales do hint that the country is making an advance into the global arms market..Political Implications.Relations between Russia and Armenia have steadily declined since the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, which saw the deployment of Russian peacekeepers after Azerbaijani forces captured large swaths of area in the disputed region against the ethnic-Armenian Republic of Artsakh. The peacekeepers' deployment was highly criticized by Armenian officials, who accused Russia of failing to protect the interests of ethnic-Armenians in the region and enforce measures agreed upon in the war's ceasefire..Last September, Azerbaijani forces launched a second offensive against areas of Nagorno-Karabakh still under control by the Republic of Artsakh, which ultimately resulted in Azernaijan re-establishing control over the entire region and a mass exodus of the region's ethnic-Armenian population, which Armenia condemned as ethnic cleansing..With this, Armenia has sought to distance itself from Russia and seek a more diversified foreign policy for defense. In June, Armenia announced its intention to leave the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashanyan arguing that Russia "has not fulfilled and is not fulfilling its obligations towards Armenia.".Armenia will slowly shift away from purchasing weapons from Russia, which is evident by weapons and equipment deals with France, such as GM-200 radar systems, Surface-to-air Missiles (SAMs) and artillery systems..Armenia acquiring weapons from India could also concern Azerbaijan for many reasons. The most likely and notable reason is that Azerbaijan could see Armenia's weapon purchases as gearing up for a future conflict. Another reason could be the decline in current relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and Turkey, as this may see India as war-mongering..Azerbaijan could view India as taking Armenia's side in the current dispute between the two nations, which could lead to declining relations..The Spartan-S Device.The Spartan-S is a thermal imaging device designed and manufactured by Tonbo Imaging, an Indian defense contractor based out of the city of Bengaluru, Karnataka State. The company also manufactures imaging and optics equipment for individual soldiers, missile targeting systems, and camera systems for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)..The Spartan-S is designed to be used as a standalone optic, used by hand, and mounted to a helmet. The optic has the ability to be used in conjunction with daytime optics, allowing users to carry it on daytime and nighttime missions..The company designed the optic to be used silently and has an ergonomic design while weighing over half a pound (300 grams). The optic can be mounted onto various weapon systems, with Tonbo saying it can be used with large calibers such as 50 BMG (12.7mm). A shutterless 12-megapixel TUVE thermal imaging core powered by advanced video processing provides the visual quality..Night vision equipment works by taking minimal light from various sources, such as the moon or artificial light sources, amplifying it, and translating it into a viewable image..The History and Importance of Night Vision on the Battlefield.Although night vision can date back to World War II, the first generation of what we now know as night vision came during the 1960s with the creation of the Starlight scopes used in Vietnam. Throughout the Cold War, night vision devices continued to improve, resulting in more effective designs featuring greater depth perception, sharper quality, the ability to record and transmit images, distance measurement, laser designation, and longer ranges..Using night vision also eliminates the need to use more traditional methods to see at night, such as hand-held flashlights or weapon-mounted lights. The user's position is not compromised when using night vision. Another advantage comes from using infrared (IR) lasers, which are invisible to the naked eye and only picked up by night vision devices, giving the user better accuracy..Night vision has transformed modern-day nighttime operations for warfare on the ground, sea, and air. Night vision is commonly issued to a nation's special forces and sometimes given to regular infantry. Helicopter pilots also use them to fly night missions, especially at lower levels of altitude. Professional militaries and law enforcement agencies have shaped whole doctrines and tactics around the use of night vision. Although night vision is not necessary to conduct nighttime operations, it nevertheless enhances the effectiveness of such missions.