On August 12, Armenia and the United States kicked off their annual joint military exercise, Eagle Partner 2025, which will run through August 20, the Armenian Defense Ministry announced. The opening ceremony, held at Yerevan’s Vazgen Sargsyan Military Academy, marked the start of the drills.
During the opening ceremony, which was attended by Lieutenant General Edward Asryan, the First Deputy Defense Minister and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia; U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien; as well as senior military personnel and guests, the national anthems of Armenia and the United States, along with the official anthem of the Eagle Partner exercise, were performed.
The drills involve servicemen from Armenia’s Peacekeeping Brigade, U.S. Army units from Europe and Africa, and the Kansas National Guard, focusing on peacekeeping operations and medical evacuation procedures. This year marks the third consecutive iteration of the Eagle Partner drills.
The exercise aims to enhance interoperability among units involved in international peacekeeping missions, exchange best practices in command and tactical communications, and improve the readiness of Armenia’s peacekeeping forces. Armenian units regularly participate in similar training programs with international partners to maintain high operational standards.
This year’s drills take place against the backdrop of significant geopolitical shifts in the region. Armenia recently initialed a peace agreement with Azerbaijan intended to end more than three decades of conflict in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and along their shared borders. At the same time, Armenia pledged exclusive transit rights to the United States for a route linking Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave—a project known as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).
The growing military cooperation between Yerevan and Washington reflects Armenia’s evolving security alignment, particularly as it has effectively suspended participation in the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization.
This shift has drawn criticism from Russia, which continues to view Armenia as a strategic ally, while Iran has also voiced concerns over the U.S. role in regional connectivity initiatives.
