Eagle Partner 2026: Interoperability in focus

The manoeuvres began on June 17 on Armenian territory. Their goal was „to increase the level of interoperability of units participating in international peacekeeping missions within the framework of peacekeeping operations, to exchange best practices in management and tactical communication, as well as to strengthen the readiness of the peacekeeping unit of the Republic of Armenia’s Armed Forces.”

According to the Armenian Ministry of Defence, the military exercises were „attended by servicemen from the Armenian Armed Forces Peacekeeping Brigade (250 participants), the ground forces of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, and the Kansas National Guard (58 participants), the Armed Forces of the French Republic (24 participants), and Hellenic Republic (11 participants).”

This was another edition of the exercises involving American troops. For a long time, Armenia was closely linked to the Russian Federation regarding security matters. However, the policy pursued by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in recent years has gradually distanced Armenia from Russia while simultaneously warming relations with the European Union and the United States.

The turning point in Yerevan’s policy was the lost war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku ultimately seized the territory in the fall of 2023. Armenian authorities assessed that Russia failed to fulfill its alliance guarantees and did not provide sufficient assistance during the conflict. Consequently, in February 2024, Yerevan decided to suspend its membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).