POGONOVO RANGE (Voronezh region), July 26 (RIA Novosti) – Fourteen army aviation brigades and separate helicopter regiments will be formed in the Russian Air Force in the next few years, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force said Saturday.
"We will have 14 brigades and regiments, including 10 army aviation regiments. Our Armed Forces have 10 combined-arms armies, each army will have one helicopter regiment. There are four military districts, each district will control an aviation brigade. In total, 14 brigades and regiments," Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said.
Certain helicopter regiments will be equipped with the Ka-52, Mi-28N, Mi-8 MTV-5, Mi-8AMTSh and Mi-26. "Each regiment will have 66 helicopters, each brigade - 84-88," Bondarev said.
The army aviation brigades and separate helicopter regiments are being formed to further develop the Armed Forces. "No army can feel confident without aviation,” Bondarev said.
A combined-arms army and troops stationed on the territory of the military district should be supported by aviation, and such brigades must be ready to carry out strategic tasks if necessary, the commander said.