MOSCOW. May 20 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgia has strengthened its national armed forces thanks to assistance from other countries that have provided it with arms and military equipment, according to military experts dealing with security issues in the former Soviet republics.
"Georgia received military aid from nearly 10 countries, which helped it strengthen its army and supply it with military hardware and weapons," an expert told Interfax-Military News Agency on Friday.
The Czech Republic gave Georgia more than 40 T-54 medium tanks with an expected service life of up to 10,000 kilometers and army anti-aircraft missile systems. Turkey, Ukraine, Germany and Greece have provided more than 10 warships and boats, Bulgaria has sent 450 mortars and antitank grenade launchers, several hundred thousand grenade launcher rounds, and about 60,000 mortar shells, he said.
The U.S. has implemented the Train and Equip program worth $64 million, under which it trained four special antiterrorist battalions and an armored company for the Georgian Armed Forces. In March 2005, the Pentagon launched a new program to train an army brigade, which will cost nearly $60 million.
The Georgian army will continue getting military aid this year, the expert said. "We have information that Albania is planning to give Georgia about 30 mortars, 90 antitank grenade launchers, 6,000 mortar shells, 1,500 Kalashnikov assault rifles, and 400 machine-guns. Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania may supply up to 800 mortar shells, over 1,000 assault rifles, 200 machine-guns, and 400 antitank grenade launchers, while Egypt may give small arms worth about $50 million," he stressed.