MOSCOW. Aug 28 (Interfax-AVN) - A professional regiment is planned to be established during the first stage of an experiment on the transition of the 76th airborne division to the professional army, a competent source in the Airborne Staff told Interfax-Military News Agency on Wednesday.
"During the first stage of the experiment that is to happen on September 1, 2002 to May 1, 2003 it is planned to form only one paratrooper regiment with professional servicemen," the source said. On the regiment's basis there will be developed an optimal variant of the staff structure of combat and rear units of the regiment, number of military posts that are to exist in the professional army will be determined too.
The source stressed that "the paratrooper regiment will feature some 1,100 professional servicemen. In general, in the course of the experiment the division will consist of three regiments, two paratrooper and one artillery, as well as headquarters and combat and logistics support units. The division will number almost 6,300 people."
In accordance with a Russian government regulation the experiment on manning the 76th division will professional servicemen will happen on September 2002 to May 2003. The general expenses on the matter will total RUB2.67m (USD). The division is led by Major General Stanislav Semenyuta and headquartered in the city of Pskov.