On February 10, during the official visit of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance to Armenia, Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan met with representatives of the U.S. defense technology company Shield AI, including Chris Brinkley, Senior Director for International Business Development and Strategy.

Hayrapetyan praised the existing collaboration between the Armenian government and Shield AI in the defense sector, highlighting its potential for expansion.

The meeting focused on prospects for defense-industrial cooperation, the use of autonomous software platforms, and the joint implementation of research and experimental development projects.

The minister presented government initiatives aimed at developing Armenia’s high-tech sector, including legislative reforms and the country’s strong engineering talent pool. He emphasized the broad scope for cooperation in defense technologies.

Brinkley outlined Shield AI’s activities, presenting its expertise in artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. He stressed the company’s interest in deepening cooperation, including through R&D, knowledge exchange, and joint projects.

Shield AI is one of the United States’ leading aerospace and defense technology firms. Headquartered in San Diego, California, it develops AI-powered autonomous systems used across military platforms, ranging from aircraft and drones to ships, satellites, and underwater technologies, and supports the U.S. Department of Defense and its allies.

Also attending the meeting were First Deputy Minister Gevorg Mantashyan, Chairman of the Ministry’s Defense Industry Committee Aram Jivanyan, and Chip Burghalter, Vice President of Government Relations at Shield AI.