MOSCOW. Aug 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Air Force Commander Vladimir Mikhailov said on Wednesday that an analysis of strike aircraft application in Chechnya had exposed several serious problems in his arm of service.
"A preliminary analysis of combat operations has made it possible to expose several serious problems related to the state of armament and military hardware, training and manning level in units and combat operations support," Mikhailov told Interfax- Military News Agency.
"A part of strike aviation aircraft was idling during combat operations due to lack of spare parts and repair possibilities and was not involved in accomplishment of missions," the commander said.
"In addition, not the entire personnel are trained to use armament and military hardware attaining the maximum realization of their combat potential, which is the most acute problem," he stressed.
Mikhailov said that air force servicemen "were trained in the course of combat operations and were accomplishing combat missions simultaneously." "At the initial stage, the personnel of strike aviation, especially of bombers, were mostly engaged in restoration of their skills in piloting and flew combat sorties occasionally," he said.
The commander lashed out at the planning of strike aviation application at the initial stage of the anti-guerrilla operation. "Scatteration of aviation forces in the interests of ground troops, lack of trustworthy intelligence data on the state and actions of guerrillas resulted in a decrease in the efficiency of aviation actions and unjustifiably high spending of fuel and ammunition," Mikhailov stressed.
"Search and rescue forces are dissociated and do not ensure timely provision of aid and rescuing of flight personnel," he said.
According to Mikhailov, the Air Force accomplishes up to 70 percent of missions assigned to the Russian Armed Forces in conventional military operations.