Russian Army Aviation Transfers to Air Force Control

Russian ground army commander supports air units regrouping

Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax-AVN web site

The Land Forces Command believes that the transfer of the Army Aviation from
the Land Forces to the Air Force is absolutely justified. “Nearly 20 regi-
ments, a military institute and auxiliary units subordinate to the Army
Aviation Command simply cannot accomplish their everyday missions without
the Air Force,” Land Forces Commander-in-Chief and Deputy Defence Minister
Nikolay Kormiltsev told reporters on Friday, 6th December.

“The Air Force provides ground services, spare parts and airspace control and exercises other functions. That is why being the Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces, I supported the General Staff initiative to transfer the Army Aviation to the Air Force,” he said.

All aviation units of the Land Forces will be transferred to the Air Force by 1 January, Kormiltsev noted. “I am to report to the Russian defence minister on the completion of the army aviation’s transfer to the Air Force before 1 January,” he said.

Speaking about the strengthening of security of Army Aviation flights in Chechnya, Kormiltsev said that all Mi-24 Hind combat helicopters have been fitted with special assets protecting them from portable anti-aircraft systems. “Installation of these assets into Mi-8 Hip transport helicopters is nearing completion. The Ryazan and Taganrog military plants are in charge of this work,” he noted.

Source: BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union – Political (7th December, 2002)

Steve / Touchdown-News
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All you need to know about French Army Aviation at ALAT 2002

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An unofficial site devoted to the “Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre”