The 1st Army Corps ( hy, 1-ին բանակային կորպուս), also known as the 1st Military Unit is a regional military formation of the

Armenian Army The Armed Forces of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի զինված ուժեր, Hayastani zinvats uzher), sometimes referred to as the Armenian Army ( hy, Հայկական Բանակ, Haykakan Banak), is the national military of Armenia. It consist ...

, located in the city of

Goris Goris ( hy, Գորիս) is a town and the centre of the urban community of Goris, in Syunik Province at the south of Armenia. Located in the valley of the Goris (or Vararak) River, it is 254 km from the Armenian capital Yerevan and 67 km ...

''Jane's World Armies''. Coulsdon, Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group, October 2004. in the

Syunik Province Syunik ( hy, Սյունիք, ) is the southernmost province of Armenia. It is bordered by the Vayots Dzor Province to the north, Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic exclave to the west, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran to the south. I ...

. It helps make up Armenia's southeastern military positions.

Overview

After the

First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, referred to in Armenia as the Artsakh Liberation War ( hy, Արցախյան ազատամարտ, Artsakhyan azatamart) was an ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in th ...

, the development of army building imposed the need to form large military units. This resulted in the corps creation on 20 June 1996 at the initiative of General

Yuri Khatchaturov Yuri Grigorii Khachaturov ( hy, Յուրի Գրիգորիի Խաչատուրով; born 1 May 1952) is an Armenian general. He formerly served as the Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and as Chief of the Genera ...

. On its 18th anniversary in 2014, the Governor of Syunik Vahe Hakobyan donated 30 TV sets to the corps. A tank crew of the corps participated in the "Tank Biathlon-2017" international competition. In September 2020, a subdivision of the corps participated in the "Caucasus-2020" command-staff military exercise in Russia. During the

Second Nagorno-Karabakh War The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involving Azerbai ...

, the corps was deployed in the Aghdara District. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence indicated that the corps was one of three units with

White phosphorus Elemental phosphorus can exist in several allotropes, the most common of which are white and red solids. Solid violet and black allotropes are also known. Gaseous phosphorus exists as diphosphorus and atomic phosphorus. White phosphorus White ...

in their possession.

Structure

The corps has the following structure: * Headquarters (Goris) * 2nd Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade ''"

Vardan Mamikonian Vardan Mamikonian ( hy, Վարդան Մամիկոնեան; – 451) was an Armenian military leader who led a rebellion against Sasanian Iran in 450–451. He was the head of the Mamikonian noble family and holder of the hereditary title of , ...

"'' (Goris, partially stationed in Karakhanbeyli) * 14th Independent Motorized Rifle Regiment (

Kapan Kapan ( hy, Կապան) is a town in southeast Armenia, serving as the administrative center of the urban community of Kapan as well as the provincial capital of Syunik Province. It is located in the valley of the Voghji River and is on the nort ...

, made up of the former 83rd Motor Rifle Brigade and the 97th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade) * 522nd Motorized Rifle Regiment (

Sisian Sisian ( hy, Սիսիան) is a town and the centre of the urban community of Sisian, in the Syunik Province in southern Armenia. It is located on the Vorotan River, 6 km south of the Yerevan-Meghri highway, at a road distance of 217 km southeast ...

) * 539th Motorized Rifle Regiment (Agarak) * 155th Artillery Regiment * 25th Independent Tank Battalion * 585th Independent Reconnaissance Battalion * Logistics Battalion * 1st Army Corps Concert Orchestra (conducted by Captain Samvel Hayrapetyan) Other small units include the 5th Mountain Rifle Regiment of the 10th Mountain Rifle Division.

Commanders

The following have served as commanders of the corps: * Colonel General

Yuri Khachaturov Yuri Grigorii Khachaturov ( hy, Յուրի Գրիգորիի Խաչատուրով; born 1 May 1952) is an Armenian general. He formerly served as the Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and as Chief of the Genera ...

(1996-1997) *Lieutenant General

Manvel Grigoryan Lieutenant General Manvel Sektori Grigoryan (Armenian: Մանվել Սեկտորի Գրիգորյան; 14 July 1956 – 19 November 2020) was an Armenian military leader and a member of the National Assembly of Armenia. At one point he was one of ...

(1996-2000) * Major General Leon Yeranosyan (-8 October 2003) * Major General Garegin Gabrielyan (8 October 2003 – 20 July 2007) * Colonel Poghos Poghosyan (20 July 2007 – 2010) * Major General Kamo Aghajanyan (2010-21 March 2013) * Major General Tigran Parvanyan (21 March 2013 – 16 February 2018) * Ararat Melkumyan (16 February 2018 – 18 June 2018) * Major General Jirayr Poghosyan (18 June 2018 – present)

References

{{Armenian Armed Forces Syunik Province Military units and formations established in 1996 Army corps of Armenia