The Ministry of Defense of Armenia has submitted for public discussion a draft amendment to the Law on “Military Service and the Status of Servicemen,” proposing to shorten the duration of mandatory military service.
According to the draft, published on the government’s e-draft.am platform, the length of compulsory service will be reduced by six months starting with the 2026 summer conscription. This means that the service term for conscripts will be set at 18 months instead of the current 24 months.
In its justification, the Ministry noted that significant steps have been taken in recent years to expand the system of contractual (professional) military service. Among these measures are the introduction of the “Defender of the Homeland” program, the establishment of a professional sergeant corps, the implementation of a certification system for servicemen, and the organization of long-term service in border units with the retention of military pensions.
The Ministry underlined that these initiatives have already shown positive results and are making contractual service more attractive. Against this backdrop, it considers the reduction of compulsory service duration both reasonable and feasible.
If approved, the reform will take effect from the 2026 summer draft, marking a significant change in Armenia’s military service system.
