MODERN WEAPONS

Summing up results of Exercise Formidable Motherland with elements of shooting practice, President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov said that "Turkmenistan intends to go on outfitting its Armed Forces with sophisticated military hardware." The Turkmen military practiced defense of state borders in the exercise that involved almost 800 servicemen. Five SU-25 ground-strafers and five MIG-29 fighters participated as well. Hypothetical enemy was engaged with antitank guided missiles, tanks, and battle infantry vehicles. The antiaircraft defense was involved too - with its Shilka antiaircraft mobile guns, Strela-2 portable launchers, and OSA antiaircraft complexes. Paratroops airlifted to the area by four MI-8s backed by four MI-24 gunships completed the battle.

Georgia and Ukraine are helping Turkmenistan with the rearmament program. Tbilisi is doing it to pay for the gas debts dating the early 1990's, and Kiev for the current gas deliveries. Georgia repaired about 50 Turkmen SU-25s in the last decade. Ukraine is repairing MIG fighters. It sells Turkmenistan Kolchuga passive electronic intelligence complexes, artillery pieces with ordnance, and Kalkan and Grif type boats.