S. HARUTYUNYAN, Graduate Student, Institute of Philosophy, Sociology and Law, NAS, RA, Deputy Head, Defense Policy Planning Division, Defense Policy and International Cooperation Department, MOD, RA
SUMMARY
The global and regional security architecture is currently subject to frequent changes, sometimes accompanied by shocks, which has a direct destabilizing effect on the already fragile and changeable security environment of the South Caucasus region. In parallel with this, in the military sphere there is a constant modernization and improvement of means of armed struggle and new ways of conducting it, which creates new, hard-to-predict challenges and threats for almost all states.
In such conditions, it seems the most important task of all states to plan the construction of the armed forces with the aim of creating a flexible national defense system capable of immediately responding to both actually existing and predictable military threats.
Generalizing the experience of implementing defense reforms in a number of states, studying their relevant guidance documents and specialized literature, and analyzing the results obtained, allow us to conclude that it is necessary to carry out continuous reforms, taking into account the security environment in the world and the region, changes in the means and methods of armed struggle.
At the same time, a number of important conditions can be singled out as necessary for the successful implementation of defense (military) reforms. In particular, these are: conceptual and doctrinal innovations in accordance with up-to-date means and ways of warfare; organizational innovations, implying the creation of a new image of the armed forces; review of personnel policies and distribution of human resources, as well as review of management philosophy at all levels.
To comprehensively solve the problems arising during the reforms implementation, well-coordinated work is required not only in all links and at levels of the defense system, but also of all institutions and infrastructures whose function is to ensure national security. As international experience shows, reforms are usually targeted at maintaining the balance of power in the region, compensating for the preponderance of power of a potential enemy through the development of asymmetric methods and means of struggle, and, ultimately, guaranteeing the military security of the state.