TBILISI. Jan 28 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian Defense Ministry will spend 23 million laris (over $8.6 million) this year to upgrade its UH-1H Iroquois helicopters, Georgian Defense Minister Levan Izoria told reporters on Monday.
"As part of an effort to boost defense capabilities, one of our priorities is to develop the capabilities of our air defense and aviation," Izoria said.
The money will be used to upgrade seven Iroquois helicopters, he said.
Georgia will continue cooperating with France with respect to the purchase of air defense command-and-control systems, Izoria said.
Another priority is the completion of the purchase of the U.S. Javelin anti-tank missile system in 2019, he said.
"This year we are finalizing purchases of the Javelin anti-tank missile system from the U.S., and our units will thus be equipped with modern anti-tank systems," Izoria said.
The U.S. Congress approved the sale of the system in late 2017. Tbilisi says the purchase is not aimed against any country and that this armament is of a purely defensive nature.