MILITARY

New Delhi: Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh visited Armenia from August 17-18, 2026. During the visit, he held bilateral meetings with Deputy Defence Minister of Armenia, Mr Karen Brutyan, and First Deputy Defence Minister and Chief of General Staff of Armenia, Mr Edward Asryan.

The discussions covered the entire gamut of ongoing defence and military technical cooperation, with particular emphasis on capacity building, training, military technical cooperation and defence research and development (R&D). The two sides also exchanged the Terms of Reference for institutionalising Joint Services Staff Talks between the Indian and Armenian Armed Forces.

The Defence Secretary called on Mr Davit Tradevosyan, Minister of Hi-tech Industry of Armenia, and exchanged views on proposals relating to defence research and development. Coinciding with the visit, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two Defence Ministries to expand cooperation in the fields of joint collaboration, innovation and research was concluded and signed.

Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh also called on Mr Suren Papikyan, Minister of Defence of Armenia. During the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen India-Armenia defence cooperation and discussed new avenues for enhancing cooperation in military technical cooperation.

As part of the visit, the Defence Secretary visited the Armenian Military Academy named after Vazgen Sargasyan and interacted with the Head and faculty members of the Academy. During his visit to the IT Lab at the Academy, established with Indian assistance, he underlined the vital role of capacity building and training as an important pillar of India-Armenia defence cooperation.

The Defence Secretary had a fruitful meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, Mr Mnatsakan Safaryan, in Yerevan. The discussions focused on the expanding defence partnership between India and Armenia. As Armenia seeks to diversify its defence procurement, India has emerged as a major partner in military technical cooperation. Both countries share similar views on multilateralism and strategic autonomy.

The visit demonstrated the increasing congruence of views between India and Armenia on bilateral, regional and global issues, besides reaffirming the firm commitment of both sides to take the already robust bilateral defence partnership to the next level.

New Delhi: Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi on August 6, 2026, with discussions focusing on the ‘Territorial Army’. During the meeting, senior officials presented a detailed briefing on the Territorial Army’s mandate, role and key achievements to the committee members, who offered valuable suggestions to further strengthen the force & enhance its overall effectiveness.

In his address, Raksha Mantri described the Territorial Army’s contribution as “significant” in advancing Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi-led Government’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’. He emphasised that while the role of the defence forces revolves primarily around security-related aspects, the Territorial Army contributes in other areas such as environmental conservation and social work as well. “The Territorial Army is a living embodiment of the ‘Citizen-Soldier’ concept. While its members engage in civilian pursuits, they simultaneously don the uniform to safeguard the borders and maintain internal security,” he said.

Shri Rajnath Singh asserted that the Territorial Army creates surge capacity for the defence forces by building a reserve of trained soldiers who can be deployed immediately whenever the need arises. He added that when the personnel complete their tenure and return to civilian life, they act as a vibrant bridge between society and the military, inspiring the people, especially the youth, to join the defence forces.

The Territorial Army stands as a trained, motivated, and potent force, comprising approximately 44,400 personnel and 59 diverse units. Raksha Mantri termed the force as the first responders, who provide immediate relief and support during natural calamities. He acknowledged their role in carrying out relief & rescue work, and providing medical aid to those in need during Kerala floods, Odisha Cyclone & the recent floods in Assam.

Commending their contribution in environmental management and climate change mitigation, Shri Rajnath Singh stated that the Ecological Task Forces of the Territorial Army have planted approximately 10 crore saplings till date, with the survival rate between 80-85 percent. This green initiative is translating the Prime Minister’s ‘Mission LiFE’ and ‘Panchamrit’ goals into reality on the ground, he said. He also appreciated the efforts of the Territorial Army, deployed in J&K, for taking the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign to greater heights.

Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani, Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth, Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Finance) Shri Vishvajit Sahay and other senior officers attended the meeting.