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Russia may speed up rearmament of Airborne Troops due to tense international situation

All of Russia’s paratroop units will have special radio-electronic warfare and drones-armed companies

© Yevgeny Kurskov/TASS

MOSCOW, October 14. /TASS/. Russia may speed up rearmament and reorganization of its Airborne Forces over the tense international situation, Head of the State Duma Defense Committee Vladimir Shamanov said on Friday.

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"No doubt, they all [plans] will be implemented. The situation may only expedite the implementation. But it can’t cancel the plans because everything was worked out precisely in the context of our forecasts, which, unfortunately, are coming true and, what’s more, in a shorter-term perspective than it was predicted," lawmaker and former Airborne Forces’ commander Shamanov said in response to the relevant question.

Russian paratroops are being rearmed with a new model range of combat hardware. In particular, two battalion tactical groups of the 137th Ryazan regiment have been rearmed with BMD-4M airborne fighting vehicles and Rakushka armored personnel carriers.

Russian paratroop units to have radio-electronic warfare, drones-armed companies

According to Shamanov, all of Russia’s paratroop units will have special radio-electronic warfare and drones-armed companies over four-five years to come.

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"Two radio-electronic warfare companies and drones-armed companies have begun to be formed. Over four or five years to come such companies will be created in all paratroop units," Shamanov said, as he looked back on what he managed to achieve as the airborne forces commander.

He recalled that Russia’s airborne forces had created special brigades, reconnaissance battalions and tank companies that with time would be built up to battalions.

Shamanov had been commander of the Russian Airborne Forces from 2009 to October 2016 when he became head of the State Duma Defense Committee.

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