Armenia Unveils Iranian AD-08 Majid Air Defense System at Yerevan Parade

Armenia publicly displayed Iran’s AD-08 Majid short-range air defense system during its Republic Day parade in Yerevan on Thursday, marking the first confirmed appearance of the platform outside Iran and highlighting a widening diversification of Armenia’s defense procurement base.

The systems were observed in Republic Square during the parade and had been visible in rehearsal footage days earlier. Armenian officials did not confirm the system’s origin, instead presenting it under the local designation “Scorpion,” described as a short-range air defense system intended for protection of military and industrial facilities.

Defense Blog reported that the AD-08 Majid is a mobile short-range surface-to-air missile system developed by Iran’s Defense Industries Organization and first revealed in 2021. It is designed to counter drones, cruise missiles, helicopters, and low-flying aircraft, carrying four ready-to-fire missiles and paired with an electro-optical targeting system. The system is assessed to engage targets at up to 8 kilometers, with detection ranges of up to 15 kilometers and altitude coverage of around 6 kilometers.

Army Recognition noted that the configuration displayed in Armenia appears to integrate radar capability alongside its electro-optical guidance system, enhancing detection performance against drones and loitering munitions, particularly in degraded weather conditions.

Imagery from the parade shows a platform variation compared to Iranian domestic systems. Instead of Iran’s standard pickup-based launcher, the Armenian version appears mounted on an Italian-made Iveco Daily chassis, suggesting adaptation to local maintenance and logistics requirements.

Radio Free Europe reported that Armenia has not formally confirmed the Iranian origin of the system, while independent analysts cited in its reporting assessed a strong visual match between the Armenian and Iranian configurations.

The introduction of the system comes as Armenia continues a broad military overhaul following the Nagorno-Karabakh war, which exposed vulnerabilities to Azerbaijani drone warfare and precision strikes. Since then, Yerevan has pursued a diversified procurement strategy, acquiring systems from France, India, Russia, Greece, and China, including CH-4 reconnaissance and strike drones.

The Majid system is being integrated into an existing layered air defense network that includes S-300PS, Tor-M2KM, and Akash systems, reflecting Armenia’s effort to build resilience against drone-centric threats through mobility and redundancy.

Defense Security Asia assessed that the deployment reflects Iran’s emergence as a defense exporter and signals a deepening but pragmatic defense relationship between Tehran and Yerevan within a shifting South Caucasus security environment.