Armenia to Reduce Mandatory Military Service to 18 Months Starting January 1

YEREVAN — Beginning January 1, the duration of mandatory military service in Armenia will be reduced from two years to one and a half years. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced the change on his social media pages.

“Initially, it was planned for this regulation to take effect with the summer draft of 2026. However, after discussions with the Minister of Defense and consultations with parliamentary colleagues, we have decided that the law will take effect earlier — starting from January 1, 2026, with the winter draft. From then on, mandatory military service in Armenia will last 18 months instead of two years,” stated the Prime Minister.

At the beginning of September, the Ministry of Defense submitted a draft law for public discussion proposing the reduction of the duration of military service. The initiative stems from the government’s 2021–2026 program, which envisions shortening the term of mandatory service by increasing the number of contract servicemen in the armed forces.

According to the explanatory note attached to the draft, effective measures have been implemented in recent years to make contractual military service more attractive. These include the introduction of the “Defender of the Homeland” program, the professional sergeant system, merit-based promotion exams, and incentives for serving in border units.

The Ministry of Defense asserts that the positive results of these reforms make it possible to transition to an 18-month service model. It also emphasizes that the adoption of the law is expected to reduce state budget expenditures, with significant savings projected beginning in 2028.