Russian army airborne units receive new air defense systems

Four of Russia's airborne troop units have been supplied with the latest Verba man-portable air defense system (MANPADS) between 2014 and 2015, Sputnik quoted Head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Airborne Forces Informational Support Section Evgeniy Meshkov as saying Sunday.

"The newest combat equipment was supplied in bundles which included the Verba man-portable surface-to-air defense system with the Barnaul-T automatic control system, as well as a single learning and training set," Meshkov said.

The Russian army's airborne troops have also received computer packages for training and preparing MANPADS specialist operators, Meshkov added. New equipment has been supplied to the Novorossiysk, Ivanovo, Tula and Pskov airborne units, according to Meshkov.

The Verba MANPADS is ten times more effective in overcoming pyrotechnical glitches that its Igla predecessor, while covering a range two and a half times greater.

Russia is currently carrying out a 19-trillion ruble ($260-billion) rearmament program, announced in 2010, to achieve a 70-percent modernization of its military by 2020.

Source: MENA