YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian military will have a new unit tasked to provide members of the Armed Forces the opportunity for continuous education, comprehensive development and gaining of professional skills.

Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan, FAST - Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology – Founding Director Armen Orujyan and High-Tech Cyber-security Center Director Levon Petrosyan signed a Memorandum of Understanding, signaling the creation of the Unit 1991.

The division will be tasked to implement scientific-research projects and studies for the solution of daily, mid-term and long-term issues.

“We will provide the territory and our colleagues will do the remainder – there will be respective lecturers and mentors,” Tonoyan said.

Servicemen of Unit 1991 will acquire fundamental and practical knowledge and skills and after military discharge the servicemen will have the chance to be employed by the Defense Ministry in respective divisions, or find employment in leading high-tech enterprises.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan said the signing of the memorandum has signaled a historic and important initiative.

“Those conscripted servicemen who will be recruited under a special procedure into service at cyber-security subdivisions of the defense ministry will have the opportunity to acquire very important knowledge for our ministry thanks to this program,” Hovhannisyan said. He said the servicemen will also be able to carry out scientific-research studies and other functions in the cyber-security sector for Armenia’s security. He said the name of the unit is a meaningful and symbolic reference to the year of Armenian independence.

FAST will conduct 6-months training of pre-conscription age men in order for them to be more ready to enter service in the Unit 1991.

High-Tech Cybersecurity Center Director Levon Petrosyan said the memorandum is the beginning of Armenia’s utilization of information technologies in the defense sector.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan