MOSCOW. April 28 (Interfax-AVN) - The combat power of the Russian Airborne Force will increase twofold in the coming two years owing to the new weapons and materiel to be commissioned for service, Colonel General Alexander Kolmakov, Airborne Force commander, told a news conference at the Interfax main office in Moscow Friday.
"New military hardware will be adopted for service in the coming two years, including BMD-4 Bakhcha-U reconnaissance fighting vehicle, 125-mm self-propelled Sprut-SD antitank guns, DTR-D3 Rakushka reconnaissance armored personnel vehicles, 12.7mm Kord machine-gun, 7.62mm Pecheneg machinegun, Vzlomshchik and SVD-S sniper rifles and some other weapons. This will increase our combat potential more than twice," Kolmakov said.
According to him, the priority objectives of the Airborne Force development include the improvement of combat potential of permanent-readiness units by optimizing their organization by components, introducing automated command and control means, and enhancing the skills of command and control bodies and personnel in general.
"We have commenced implementing the Airborne Force development plan for the period until 2010. In addition to paratroopers, the force will now include air-assault and mountaineer units. The organization and the strength of the force will not be subject to significant changes, however," he emphasized.