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Armenia has purchased a number of CH-4 combat drones from China, and is preparing to showcase them for the first time during the upcoming May 28 First Republic Day parade.
The drones appeared in video footage of military rehearsals for the parade in the capital, Yerevan, that surfaced online on May 25.
This was not, however, the first evidence of the drone purchase. Earlier, two CH-4 drones were spotted at Gyumri airbase in Apple Maps satellite imagery, with six ISO 40-foot shipping containers — the type used to transport this type of drones — parked next to hangars, suggesting Armenia received a total of six aircraft.
The CH-4 was developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation to carry out reconnaissance and combat missions. It has an endurance of 30 to 40 hours, with a top altitude of 5,000 meters, and an operational range of up to 150 kilometers. The range can be extended to over 1,000 kilometers with satellite communication.
The drone can deliver a wide variety of precision-guided missiles and bombs, with a payload weighing around 345 kilograms.
The CH-4 is the first combat drone to enter service with the Armenian Air Force. The drone purchase is a part of wider efforts by Armenia to boost its military capabilities.
Recent years saw Armenia purchasing loads of weapons from India, France, and even the United States. All of these deals are, however, unlikely to change the balance of power with Azerbaijan in favor of Armenia. With its much larger financial resources, Azerbaijan is more likely to maintain a qualitative military edge.
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very good they should have done that years ago then they would actually have had a chance to win the war and repulse azerbaijan and its israel supied and backed drone operators. the lack of their military to upgrade to fpv drones is why they lost artsakh. hopefully the aliyev zionist cockroach will get squashed. i want to see the aliyev zionist dynasty ended. artsakh liberated fk the jews fk their helpers in the azerbijan government. its time to liberate azerbijanan from zionist occupation.