MOSCOW. Feb 13 (Interfax-AVN) - Afghan Defense Minister Mohammad Fahim Khan studied Russia's present-day combat planes in the Moscow region on Wednesday.
Early in the morning, the Afghan military delegation arrived at the airfield of the Gromov Flight Research Institute in the town of Zhukovsky, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry told Interfax-Military News Agency. The Afghan military were briefed on the planes that are being designed and produced by the MIG aircraft corporation.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told a news conference on Tuesday that Russia might provide aircraft to Afghanistan.
Russia "does not rule out supplying cargo aircraft, training planes and transportation helicopters to Afghanistan, should it express that wish," Ivanov said at the Interfax main office in Moscow.
"We are not talking about supplies of combat equipment," he said. Afghanistan is likely to need "training aircraft so that it could begin pilot training. Trainees certainly cannot start with warplanes," he said.
In addition to talks with Ivanov, the Afghan defense minister met with the leadership of the Russian Foreign and Emergencies Ministries, the spokesman said. The itinerary of Khan's visit envisages a trip to the Aviaexport foreign trade association on Thursday.
Experts say that the talks involving Khan will focus on development of military-technical cooperation between Russia and Afghanistan.
According to Khan, Russian arms make almost 100 percent of the Afghan army's inventory, and Afghanistan is primarily interested in spare part supplies and Moscow's assistance in repairs of hardware.
Experts say that Russia supplied USD30m-34m worth of military hardware to troops of the anti-Taliban coalition last year. "The supplies mostly consisted of Soviet-made hardware that performed well in Afghanistan and which is skillfully operated by Afghan servicemen," a Russian military said.
According to him, the Rabbani government received from Russia some 50 T-55 and T-62 tanks, over 80 armored vehicles, these being BMP-1 and BMP-2 IFVs and BTR-60 APCs, up to 20 ZSU-4- 23 air defense self-propelled system of the 23mm caliber, two batteries of 100mm MT-12 antitank cannons, six batteries of 120mm D-30 howitzers, four batteries of 120mm 2B-11 mortars and three batteries of 82mm 2B9 automatic mortars.
Experts believe that the Northern Alliance also received up to six MI-24 Hind fire support and five MI-8 transport helicopters.
The Afghan defense minister will wrap up his visit to Moscow on Friday.