MOSCOW. June 19 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Airborne Troops will launch an experiment on transition to professional service in the 76th airborne division from August 25 to December 31, 2002, a source in the Defense Ministry told Interfax-Military News Agency on Wednesday.
The division is headquartered in the city of Pskov in northwestern European Russia. It is under command of Major General Stanislav Semenyuta.
The division's unit stationed in the locality of Cherekha just outside Pskov will be the first to be manned by professional servicemen, the source said. Selection of servicemen for manning a separate reconnaissance company and support units forming part of the division's administration will take place simultaneously.
Other units of the 76th division will be fully manned by professional servicemen from January 1 to May 1, 2003. "The large unit will start a new academic year in the new format on June 1, 2003," the source stressed.
In accordance with a government decision, the experiment on transition to professional service in the 76th division will officially begin on September 1, 2002.
The Defense Ministry believes that RUB3bn-4bn (USD95.44m- 127.25m) will be required to carry out the experiment. The sum does not take into account the cost of the division's comprehensive retrofitting.
The division's manning table will be changed during the experiment. Professional servicemen will not perform functions of ancillary workers and fatigue-duties any longer. That is why the number of civilian workers and the strength of auxiliary units will have to be increased. In the United States the number of ancillary workers is three times higher than the number of combat personnel.
In addition, a developed infrastructure will be established in the division's compounds, more residential blocks, schools, kindergartens and entertainment centers will be built.
A professional serviceman will be paid RUB3,500-5,000 (USD111.3-159.1) a month. The figure was fixed taking into account the country's economic situation.
The 76th airborne division comprises two regiments. A regular motorized rifle division has three regiments and several battalions. That is why expenses on transition to professional service in motorized rifle divisions will be several times higher, the source said.