MOSCOW. Dec 18 (Interfax-AVN) - Over 40 percent of helicopters in the Air Force army aviation inventory are combat-ready, Major General Viktor Ivanov, chief of the army aviation directorate, said on Monday.
"For the three years that have passed since the army aviation joined the Air Force, we have pooled efforts to preserve the flight and technical potential and bring the helicopter fleet's combat readiness level up to 40 percent. At the same time, over 50 percent of helicopters are in running order," Ivanov told Interfax-AVN.
He stressed that upgrade of Mi-28N helicopters has been in full swing in 2006. "This is the main helicopter gunship for the whole army aviation and will be supplied to units next year in accordance with the state order," he said.
Also this year, the army aviation fleet has been reinforced by upgraded Mi-24PN fire support helicopters, intended for nighttime operation. "Upgrade of in-service Mi-24PN helicopters is carried out by the Rostvertol plant and also by the Moscow-based Mil helicopter plant," Ivanov noted.
"In 2007 we will launch capital repairs at the Defense Ministry's 150th repair plant in Kaliningrad. It will repair Mi-8, Mi-24 and Ka-27 helicopters," he said.
Speaking about flight training of army aviation crews, Ivanov stressed that helicopterists' average flying hours currently amount to 30 hours a year, and the figure goes up to 60 hours as far as young crews are concerned. "The thing is that we lay the stress on intensive training of young crews as prescribed by the Air Force commander-in-chief," he said.
"Military helicopters are currently used in all arms of service and military branches of the Russian Armed Forces. They accomplish a broad range of missions, including transportation of personnel and materiel. They also successfully operate as part of the UN force in Sudan," he noted.