MOSCOW. Nov 30 (Interfax-AVN) - The training facilities of the Land Forces are partially ready for the new term of instruction, Colonel General Alexander Skorodumov, chief of the Russian Armed Forces' Combat Training Directorate, told Interfax-Military News Agency Tuesday.
"Despite the serious effort taken by the command of military districts, branches and services to put in operation new training facilities and improve the existing ones, the conditions at firing ranges and training centers do not meet the requirements of the day. Unfortunately, the training facilities are only partially ready for the new term of instruction," he said.
According to him, the limited funding allocated for combat training and maintaining the training facilities, as well as the obsolete simulators can explain such a state of affairs in the Land Forces.
"Only 115 million Russian rubles ($4 million) have been allocated for combat training in 2005, which is three times less than required to train the forces thoroughly," he said.
"Even specialized training centers in the Siberian, Volga-Ural, Far East and some other military districts have only 80 percent of the required equipment, with the share of obsolete simulators and other training assets reaching 50%," he added.
According to him, almost all general and senior officers of the Combat Training Directorate were sent to the field. "The commissions of the Directorate are in the North Caucasus Military District, the Siberian Military District, the Moscow Military District and some others, their main objective being to assist the commanding officers of units in organizing overall combat training," he added.
The new term of instruction starts in the Russian Armed Forces Wednesday.