The Russian Air Force comes under pressure not only to keep its aircraft in the air, but to pay its pilots in action in Southern Russia

Published: 10/15/1999

According to Colonel General Georgy Oleinik, Head of the Russian Ministry of Defence , pilots who have been bombing Chechnya have not received their pay regularly or on time. Oleinik conceded that this was unsatisfactory, telling the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper that “we have somewhat insulted the aviators”, after inspecting the North Caucasus military district that covers Chechnya and other regions on Russia's southern flank. He claimed that this was the exception to the rule and insisted that: “From this month, pilots will receive everything they should get, on time”. At another briefing, Lieutenant-General Yury Klishin, the deputy commander of the Russian Air Force revealed at a meeting at the Russian Duma, that of the air force's 4000 aircraft, more than 2000 were operating past their scheduled service lives and he thought only 21% of the Air Force's aircraft could be regarded as modern. Funding shortages have left the air force with only 61% of their aircraft regarded as operational, although according to the General, the figure could be considerably lower, perhaps as low as 40% due to shortages of parts and engines and obsolete aircraft. Aircraft are however, being used with extended service lives beyond the original manufacturer's specifications. The real crisis for the Air Force according to Klishin will be 2005-2010, when a significant number of aircraft will require replacement or significant overhaul to extend lives. Next year according to the briefing several unspecified aircraft types must be replaced. The response from the participants in the Duma round table according to reports, were that a new programme should be developed by the respective ministries for procurement between 2001-2010 to be presented to the government by 1st April 2000. It also recommend that the government approves a programme covering a number of aerospace areas between 2000-2015 including: -state support to specific projects -measures to provide general support to manufacturing capacity and associated infra structure -complete delivery of spare parts Given that we are now reviewing restructuring plan number twelve, the Duma is adding its voice to a larger group who are shouting that the industry is dying, but to date, doing little in the way of delivering a lifeline. Giving specific support to projects is interesting, as a means of focussing limited resources on the projects most likely to succeed. Defining those projects however appears to have been a difficult political task in an environment where the government changes with such regularity, leaving little time to initiate a policy that can develop some consistency.

Article ID: 979