MOSCOW. Dec 23 (Interfax-AVN) - It is necessary to restore and repair more than 160 tanks and armored vehicles before March 2003 to bring Russia's first fully professional airborne division to full combat readiness, a spokesman for the Airborne Staff said on Monday.
"The transfer of the 76th airborne division to a new manning system provides for fitting the unit with operational and complete sets of armament and military hardware. For this purpose, it is necessary to complete medium and current repairs of 162 armored vehicles," the spokesman told Interfax-Military News Agency. Among the vehicles are BMD-2 airborne fighting vehicles, BTR-80 armored personnel carriers and Nona self- propelled artillery systems.
About 40 automobiles and 35 armored vehicles have already been restored, the spokesman said. "For this purpose, we attracted extra funds in addition to those allocated in the framework of the 2002 state defense order for spare parts procurement and repairs," he noted.
"RUB213m (USD6.7m) was initially allocated for armament and military hardware restoration in the Pskov-based 76th division. Only RUB40m (USD1.26m) has been provided so far," the spokesman said.