Shamanov predicted the future
“The airborne troops will remain an independent branch of troops,” Lieutenant-General Vladimir Shamanov said yesterday, answering a question from the journalist MK about the fate of the Airborne Forces in the “new look of the Armed Forces.” He partially refuted the rumors that the Airborne Forces would either dissolve in the Land troopsor a rapid reaction force will be created at their base.
General Shamanov spoke about the prospects for reforming the army as follows:
— On the basis of military districts, we have formed operational-strategic commands (OSC). The presidential decree defines their sphere of authority, which is much broader than that of the military districts. And this means: if you transfer authority, you must also transfer the capabilities for this. That is, naturally, part of the authority of the central control bodies, as well as those that were previously assigned to the main commands, including the Airborne Forces Command, will be transferred to the OSC. But then the approaches begin to differ. There is a concept that involves the development and creation — and already in the current summer training period — of working bodies of the branches of the Armed Forces. At the same time, in the branches of the armed forces — Strategic Missile Forces, Space Forces and Airborne Forces - this is not envisaged.
As for the Airborne Forces, then, according to Shamanov, they, as before, remain "the means of the Supreme Commander and are used by decision of the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff." He also said that “in general, the Airborne Troops Command retains its status, although transferring some of its functions to other structures of the central apparatus of the Ministry of Defense.” And he immediately remarked: “That is, the Airborne Forces as a branch of troops is preserved, and I received an unequivocal instruction from the Minister of Defense for this.”
Although it seems that General Shamanov touched on a certain controversial subject here, as the head of the press service and information department of the Defense Ministry, Colonel Alexei Kuznetsov, immediately hurried to correct his position diplomatically: “All points related to USC are still being discussed. It is still a matter of time. Major decisions on them will be made in the future. ” The general also supported the colonel: “USC is living matter and is in motion.”
However, in this case, the question arises: if the USC is “matter in motion” and “a matter of time”, then why has a presidential decree already taken place on their formation? Moreover, according to the general, he determined that the sphere of authority of the USC was “much broader than the military districts were”. It turns out, gentlemen, the military, again you do not know exactly what and how you are reforming?
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