MOSCOW. Dec 18 (Interfax-AVN) - Experts of the Russian Defense Ministry have concluded that the take-off and landing strip of an airfield in the city of Perm, just west of the Ural mountains, is in critical condition and banned its use by military aviation.
The beginning of repairs at the airfield used by both civil and military planes is under consideration at the moment, Sergei Nerubenko, spokesman for the Defense Ministry's 26th R&D Institute, told Interfax-Military News Agency on Tuesday. The repairs are expected to be launched in May 2002 and involve engineer services of the Air Force.
Sources in the Air Force have told Interfax-AVN that over 50 percent of military airfields are in critical condition. Their 20- year term in service has expired and they need capital repairs badly. The Air Force Staff believes that the number of airfields in need of repairs may grow to 80 percent by 2005.
The Air Force needs at least RUB1bn (USD33m) a year to maintain the airfield network in readiness for operation, the sources said.
Airfields in critical condition often maintain flight security by imposing limitations on intensity of use of their infrastructure elements and equipment. In particular, they ban flights at night or refuse to accept aircraft of certain types.
The Air Force has 142 airfields with the landing strip of 1,800 meters and more. Sixty-five percent of them are in European Russia and the rest are east of the Ural mountains. Almost all of them need repairs of the power provision system and technical installations.