MOSCOW. Aug 19 (Interfax-AVN) - Army Aviation departments have been created in Air Force and Air Defense armies to replace Army Aviation commands in military districts, disbanded on August 1, Colonel Alexander Raylyan, ex-deputy chief of combat training of the Army Aviation Command-and-Control, recently fired from the Armed Forces, told Interfax-Military News Agency Tuesday.
"Army Aviation departments now created organic to Air Force and Air Defense armies have five to six personnel, instead of disbanded military district aviation commands that used to number over 30 officers. I don't think it is possible to accomplish the huge job of managing the flights of the Army Aviation with that scarce personnel," he said.
According to Raylyan, most of the tasks of the Army Aviation, in accordance with instructions and combat regulations, are accomplished for the Land Forces, although the Army Aviation became organic to the Air Force as far back as a year.
"The Air Force tries to shift the focus of the Army Aviation whose core is the MI-24 Hind attack helicopters towards airlift. In this year alone over 10 percent fewer helicopters have been tailored for Land Forces exercises," he emphasized.