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Defense Ministry enlarges security staff to ensure flights' safety

Different purpose aircraft units with no security personnel envisaged yet have been increasingly often used for training and exercise

MOSCOW, September 3 (Itar-Tass) - The Defense Ministry will enlarge the number of personnel on staff to ensure safety of flights, Defense Minister General Sergei Shoigu said at an Intercom conference at the Defense Ministry on Tuesday. "Every accident in the air entails serious material losses and human death," the minister stressed.

After modern and costly aircraft systems are employed the losses inflicted because of the loss of the aircraft might grow manifold, the minister warned. The task of lowering accident rates in the Air Force has been given priority importance, the minister emphasized.

Different purpose aircraft units with no security personnel envisaged yet have been increasingly often used for training and exercise, Shoigu said. The existing system of accident prevention in the air has become ineffective and needs improvements, he said. To improve the level of safety of flights we need perspective technical innovations and use new approaches to settle this problem, the minister said. He urged to involve more flight and technical engineering experts in the work on ensuring safety of flights.

Last November the Board of the Defense Ministry decided to consider the creation of a system of stringent personnel at bodies ensuring safety of flights. For that purpose aircraft squadrons and military units should train officers to perform additional duties of staff pilots for ensuring flight security, while the main duties for prevention of air accidents should be transferred to the level of air squadrons, the minister said.