PM Bakhtadze: Georgian air space will become more secured and effectively controlled

Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has stated today that Georgian air space will become more secure and protected through the efforts of the Georgian government and the United States.

The PM made the statement on Georgian military aviation day at the Alekseevka aviation base on the outskirts of Tbilisi when he viewed the radiolocation stations, management and control mobile centres and short-range anti-aircraft systems Georgia just received from French Thales LAS SAS and  MBDA companies.

The short-range anti-aircraft systems are one of the best in the world among such systems and act perfectly in support operations and for the protection of objects of highly importance,” the Georgian Defence Ministry reported.

Bakhtadze and the Defence Ministry officials also viewed the helicopter fleet which is being modernised and renovated with the help of the United States.

Bakhtadze said that in addition to purchasing air defence weapons, Georgia is improving its air transport and logistics capabilities with the help of the United States.

The helicopter fleet is being modernised and renovated, which will help the gradual replacement of outdated helicopters with new ones and bring our aviation in line with western standards,” Bakhtadze said.

Defence Minister Levan Izoria stated that only this year 23 million GEL was allocated from the ministry’s budget for the development of the aviation field and that the United States has declared its readiness to allocate funds for the same purpose.

Bakhtadze said that Georgian military aviation has 26-years of experience, while the first aviation unit was established in 1918, during the time of the First Democratic Republic of Georgia which collapsed in 1921 due to the invasion of the Russian Red Army.