Russian MoD Releases Data on Georgian Armament

The Russian Ministry of Defense posted on its website on May 15 detailed information about armament, it claimed, was transferred to Georgia by its western allies in recent years.

According to the chart on the Russian MoD’s website NATO-member states have so far handed over to Georgia total of 175 battle tanks; 126 armored vehicles; 67 artillery guns; 99 mortars launchers; 6 multiple rocket launchers; 150 anti-tank missile systems; 200 man-portable, shoulder-fired missile systems.

It also said that the United States planned to hand over to Georgia fifteen UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. Seven of them will be transferred to Georgia in 2010 and remaining eight in 2011, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The Russian Defense Ministry also said that France planned to transfer to Georgia four Mirage 2000 fighter jets; 48 man-portable surface-to-air missile systems Mistral; 25 ATLAS man-portable missile launchers with missiles of Mistral-2 type; multiple rocket launcher armed with Aster-30 long range anti-aircraft missiles.

Below is the full statement by the Russian Defense Ministry that accompanied that chart:

“The military-political leadership of NATO member states and other countries are consistently pursuing the course of rendering wide-scale military assistance to Georgia with the purpose of raising the military capabilities of [the Georgian] armed forces. Such actions are motivated by the necessity of preparing Tbilisi for integration into the North Atlantic Council and “boosting stability in the region.”   

Among key directions of these activities there are deliveries of armament and military hardware, as well as other munitions to Georgia, participation of foreign experts in the process of training Georgian servicemen, including their training in foreign institutions of the allied states, rendering financial aid. At the same time, military-technical assistance is often rendered by western countries free of charge.

Among the NATO member states, the United States, Turkey, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic are most active in terms of rendering assistance in strengthening the national armed forces [of Georgia].

Georgia receives significant amount of military hardware from Ukraine; the military-technical cooperation between Israel and Georgia is expanding as well.

In the light of Tbilisi’s declared course towards possible resolution of problems in South Ossetia and Abkhazia through use of force, strengthening [Georgia’s] military capabilities serves destabilizing role in military-political situation in the South Caucasus region.”