ALMATY. April 25 (Interfax-AVN) - Kazakhstan is going to start manufacturing ammunition under the standards of NATO, Defense Minister Mukhtar Altynbayev said in an interview with the Megapolis weekly, published on Monday.
"We are considering a possibility of resuming the production of ammunition now, as the stockpiles of the Soviet era are coming to end. At the same time, we are going to start the production of ammo under NATO standards," Altynbayev said.
He stressed that this is made in a bid to enter the international market, and moreover, to achieve interoperability in case of joint peacekeeping operations.
"However, this issue is sensitive," Altynbayev said.
According to him, the Kazakh Armed Forces are running a program aimed to get rid of excessive stocks of obsolete Soviet equipment.
"The excessive stocks of obsolete equipment and materiel, the service lives of which expired long ago, make up 50% of the total materiel operated. They should be taken out of service and disposed of, or used as scrap metal in order not to waste money for ensuring their secure storing. This should be done and we this is what we are doing," Altynbayev said.
Speaking of acquisition of new equipment, the minister noted that in light of the long-term nature of the reform currently in progress, a state program of armament development was evolved for the period till 2010.
"We have bought four Mil Mi-17V-5 multi-role helicopters in the past two years, to ensure higher mobility of our land forces and fire support over the battlefield, as well as for some other missions in support of land forces in local conflicts. The helicopters are also intended for patrols of economic zones, search and rescue operations and transportation," he added.
According to Altynbayev, there are plant to modernize existing and acquire new materiel and vehicles, as well as to take steps under the concept of Kazakh defense industry development currently being scrutinized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.