U.S. PROVIDES MILLION OF FIELD EQUIPMENT TO PEACEKEEPING BATTALION OF RA MINISTRY OF DEFENSE

Noyan Tapan
Aug 1, 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 1, NOYAN TAPAN. On July 27 and 31, approximately
3 million dollars 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 dollar
plan by the U.S. Foreign Military Financing program to assist
the Armenian government to achieve its goal of developing a NATO
interoperable Peacekeeping Battalion by 2009.

According to the information spread by the U.S. Embassy in the Republic
of Armenia, 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. Lieutenant
Colonel Doug Peterson, the Chief of the U.S. Embassy’s Office of
Defense Cooperation, commented that this event marked the largest
shipment of U.S. military equipment for the Peacekeeping Battalion
to date. Desert uniforms and clothing, boots, backpacks, protective
masks, field equipment, medical supplies, cold weather clothing,
and maintenance equipment are included in the shipment. Peterson also
mentioned that the U.S. military assistance in 2008 will be directed
towards the creation of a new Armenian Peacekeeping Brigade, plus
continued assistance to the Armenian field hospital that was provided
by the U.S. government this past January.