 To help redress its relative military weaknesses compared to Azerbaijan and Turkey, on 16 March 1995 Armenia signed a treaty with Russia giving the latter a 25-year-long military presence in Armenia.A follow-on agreement defining terms and conditions was signed 27 September 1996 which authorized the establishment of Russian bases at Gyumri and Yerevan.Russian aviation forces in Armenia comprise 18 MiG-29 fighters of the 426th Fighter Squadron ["426 Istrebitel’naya Aviatsionnaya Eskadril’ya (426 IAE)"] and the 700th Air Traffic Control Center, both at the 3624th Air Base ["3624 Aviatsionnaya Baza (3624 AB)"] at Erebuni Airport outside Yerevan.