Armenia’s Defense Ministry (MoD) has submitted a draft amendment to reduce compulsory military service from 24 months to 18 months, starting with the 2026 summer conscription, citing reforms that have strengthened contract-based military service.
Armenia Proposes Reducing Mandatory Military Service from 24 to 18 Months
Armenia’s MoD has proposed reducing the length of compulsory military service from 24 months to 18 months, submitting a draft amendment to the Law on “Military Service and the Status of Servicemen” for public discussion. According to the proposal, published on the government’s e-draft.am platform, the shorter service term would take effect starting with the 2026 summer conscription.
Rationale Behind the Draft Law
The adoption of the draft law is driven by the government’s aim to reduce the term of mandatory military service, as outlined in Armenia’s 2021–2026 program. Over the past several years, the MoD has undertaken reforms to strengthen contract-based military service. These measures include the launch of the “Defender of the Homeland” program, the establishment of a professional sergeant corps, the introduction of a servicemen evaluation system, and the organization of long-term contract-based service in border units while retaining military pensions. Officials say these initiatives have already shown positive results, making professional service more attractive and creating conditions for a shorter conscription term.
In line with these developments, the draft law proposes setting the mandatory military service term at 18 months, beginning with the 2026 summer conscription. The adoption of the draft does not require amendments to other legal acts.
Financial and Strategic Considerations
The MoD expects that the adoption of the draft law will reduce expenditures related to mandatory military service starting from 2028, as the 18-month service for the 2026 summer conscripts will end on December 31, 2027. The draft law aligns with the government’s 2021–2026 program, specifically Section 1.3, “Defense Sector: Armed Forces Reforms,” which calls for shortening mandatory service to expand contract-based service. It also fits within the broader strategic framework of Armenia’s Transformation Strategy 2050.
Opposition Criticism
Opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan of the “I Have Honor” faction criticized the draft, arguing that the government is using it as a political maneuver ahead of elections. He said that although the draft cites steps to expand contract-based military service, including the “Defend the Fatherland” program, the professional sergeant system, the evaluation system, and the retention of long-term military pensions, the state still faces significant personnel shortages.
He said that the government’s claims about active recruitment did not fully reflect reality, as over the past four years, thousands of reservists and representatives of the Yerkrapah Union of Veterans had to be mobilized each year to carry out combat duty and other operational tasks.
He added that officials should not claim that the mobilization of reservists served solely for training or retraining purposes, since the main goal of these mobilizations was to meet combat duty requirements amid staffing difficulties.
Abrahamyan added that the authorities may be using the draft to achieve three objectives simultaneously: perform a pre-election maneuver by presenting the army reduction as a political achievement, justify potential future concessions as a reflection of state incapacity, and signal compliance with Azerbaijani demands, indicating that Armenia has no intention to resist militarily.
