YEREVAN -- Armenia has staged a Republic Day military parade showcasing hardware including rocket launchers, drones, and armored vehicles from countries such as France and India -- as well as what appears to be an Iranian air defense system.A weapons purchase from Tehran could strike an awkward note as Armenia forges closer relations with Washington, with the Yerevan parade coming just hours after US President Donald Trump endorsed Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7.The first reported sighting of the AD-08 Majid, a truck-mounted short-range air defense system, came during rehearsals for the parade the previous day. Multiple Armenian media outlets carried photos of what they identified as partially covered Majids.On May 28, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service witnessed the same systems trundling across Republic Square with the covers off. But amid a martial drumbeat, an official announcer was coy about their origin."The Scorpion short-range self-propelled surface-to-air missile system is designed for the detection and destruction of low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as for the air defense of vital military and industrial facilities," he said.