KOMSOMOLSK-ON-AMUR. Dec 23 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Air Force will receive more aircraft fuel in 2005, as compared with past years, Army General Vladimir Mikhailov, Russian Air Force Commander-in-Chief, told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday.
According to him, this fact will allow to step up flight personnel training, especially that of junior officers - second and first lieutenants, and captains. "At the moment they log 50 to 100 hours of flying time a year," he said.
"The flying time of flight school cadets has also been considerably increased. At the present time it amounts to over 200 hours, which just three years ago it totaled only about 100 hours," Mikhailov pointed out.
"We will increase the flying time logged by cadets even further, moreover so that the 2005 fuel limit is to be increased," he said.
"Junior officer training is a priority, since they are the future of the Air Force," Mikhailov said.
Despite the fact that the Air Force experiences certain problems, pertaining to fuel limits, in excess of 80% of flight personnel have improved their qualification in the past three years, he emphasized.
Mikhailov is in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where the Air Force accepted seven upgraded SU-27SM Flanker fighters on Thursday.