MOSCOW. Dec 25 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Air Force council discussed progress in the reassignment of the Land Forces aviation to the Air Force on Wednesday.
"The military council session stressed that the reassignment takes place in line with instructions of the defense minister and chief-of-staff," a source in the Air Force Staff told Interfax- Military News Agency.
"During the reassignment, special attention is paid to maintenance of combat and mobilization readiness in the army aviation, combat training and morale of the personnel, as well as law and order issues," the source said.
According to him, commissioning and decommissioning acts regarding the army aviation command, units that were reporting directly to the command, and those formerly subordinate to the Moscow, Far Eastern, Leningrad, Siberian, Volga-Ural and North Caucasus military districts have been signed.
Air Force Commander Vladimir Mikhailov is expected to report to Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov on the completion of the army aviation reassignment on December 30.
The Air Force will gain control over more than 20,000 servicemen and 7,000 civilian employees. Over 20 military units reporting to the army aviation command, over 40 units reporting to military districts, an aviation college for flight and technical personnel, and a retraining center will be reassigned.
The army aviation is armed with MI-24 Hind, MI-8 Hip, MI-26 Halo and KA-50 Hokum helicopters.
The decision to reassign the army aviation was made after the crash of the MI-26 helicopter in Chechnya on August 19. The crash killed 124 servicemen.