U.S. PROVIDES $3 MILLION OF FIELD EQUIPMENT TO ARMENIAN PEACEKEEPING BATTALION
PanARMENIAN.Net
01.08.2007 14:04 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On July 27 and 31, approximately $3 million of NATO
interoperable military equipment for the Armenian 12th Peacekeeping
Battalion was delivered to the Armenian Ministry of Defense. The
U.S. field equipment was provided as part of an $8 million plan by
the U.S. Foreign Military Financing program to assist the Armenian
government achieve its goal of developing a NATO interoperable
Peacekeeping Battalion by 2009. With the arrival of additional
shipments in coming weeks, the battalion should be fully equipped
with U.S. and NATO interoperable equipment before the end of the
year, thereby easing its logistical requirements regarding equipment
re-supply during deployment. The Armenian government currently provides
troops to the stability and peacekeeping operations in Kosovo and Iraq.
Chief of the U.S. Embassy’s Office of Defense Cooperation Lieutenant
Colonel Doug Peterson commented that this event marked the largest
shipment of U.S.
military equipment for the Peacekeeping Battalion to date. Included
in the shipment were desert uniforms and clothing, boots, backpacks,
protective masks, field equipment, medical supplies, cold weather
clothing, and maintenance equipment. Peterson said that U.S. military
assistance in 2008 will be directed towards the new Armenian
Peacekeeping Brigade, plus continued assistance to the Armenian field
hospital that was provided by the U.S. government this past January.
The U.S. Office of Defense Cooperation in Armenia works to foster
U.S. government and industry assistance to Armenia in the defense
sphere. The office operates under the authority of the U.S. Chief of
Mission in Armenia and the U.S. European Command, located in Stuttgart,
Germany, reported the U.S.Embassy press office.