Georgia, Tbilisi / Тrend corr N. Kirtskhalia / Re-equipment of Georgian Armed Forces in accordance with European standards requires 5-10 years, according to the editor-in-chief of the Georgian military magazine of Arsenal, a military expert, Kakha Aladashvili.
Earlier Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili, stated that he had made a decision to bring Georgian Army close to European armament standards.
"Bringing Georgian Army close to European armies requires not only technical re-equipment, but also change of mentality of Georgian military," Aladashvili said. He stressed that for the time being the mentality of Georgian military is far from mentality of their western counterparts.
"That also requires overcoming the language barrier. Revolution in army is possible only in case of good command of the English language, therefore the issue should be paid special attention," Aladashvili urged. He called mental changes to be the most difficult process in reformation of the army.
The expert considers fortification of financial basis of the army to be necessary for re-armament of the military forces, for the Georgian Army is mostly equipped with Soviet or post-Soviet armaments. "Re-armament requires high budget expenditures. If the authorities are ready to do that, that will give good results in near future," he noted.
"We have a good exception, for instance the Military Naval Forces have several cutters of western type - a Dioskuria missile cutter made in France, Turkish Dioskuria patrol ship, Israeli Ta Vor rifle equipment, Land Rover military vehicles, and Russian SU-25 airliners are equipped with Israeli electronic systems, as well as rifle equipment and military technologies of Soviet and post-Soviet production," he said.
The President of Georgia noted on 10 August that his country intended to purchase several fighters, which will be able to destroy trespassers of Georgian airspace. However, the President did not released specific information about where the fighters would be purchased. According to official information, the negotiations on purchase of French fighters of Miraj mark are being held. Georgia holds negotiations with France on purchasing military vessels from France by $500.