The decision to reduce the duration of mandatory military service should not be politicized or linked to the reproduction of the current government, particularly to Nikol Pashinyan. This was stated by military expert David Jamalyan. According to him, regardless of who is in power, the reduction of service duration has already become a reality and will remain in place under any government.
Criticism of populism and message to society
He emphasized that society should not perceive such decisions as someone’s personal achievement or express “gratitude” for them. In his view, the public must clearly understand that the current situation is the result of systemic changes and will persist in the future.
According to Jamalyan, the reduction of service duration is not seen as a dangerous change in itself; the main issue lies in the rushed and insufficiently prepared implementation of the reform. He noted that an 18-month service period is вполне acceptable, provided that human resources are managed effectively and a systemic approach is ensured.
Development of contract service as a key solution
The expert explained that under these conditions, priority should be given to the development of the contract-based military service system. In his opinion, this is the only way to compensate for the inevitable shortage of personnel that will result from shortening the service term.
Jamalyan believes that if the state consistently develops the contract service sector, it will be possible not only to maintain the army’s combat capability but also to build a more professional military.
Involvement of Interior Ministry units
The expert also suggested that, if necessary, certain units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs could be involved in combat duty. According to him, this step could provide additional resources and offset the gap caused by the сокращение срока службы.
He recalled that after the 2018 change of power, a similar approach had already been attempted, when internal troops were temporarily involved in combat duty, based on the assumption that force would no longer be used against the population. However, the current authorities soon abandoned this approach.