Georgia to return stored Mi-24P/Vs and Su-25K/UBs to service

The Georgian Ministry of Defence announced on July 24 it would refurbish and upgrade stored Mil Mi-24 attack helicopters and Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft in Tbilisi.

Tbilisi Aircraft Manufacturing (TAM) and the Tbilisi-based State Military Scientific-Technical Centre (STC Delta) will carry out the work.STC Delta is a government organisation that provides technical support for the Georgian armed forces

In recent years, a lack of spares for the country’s Soviet-era aircraft has led to a dramatic decline in their serviceability. In 2016, the then Minister of Defence, Levan Izoria, decided all the remaining Su-25s and Mi-24s should be retired and they were stored at Marneuli Air Base, south of Tbilisi.

The new defence minister, Irakli Garibashvili, has said the aircraft have already been dismantled at Marneuli and transported by road to TAM for refurbishment.

The work is being carried out within the framework of Georgia’s Defence Forces’ development plan, which was unveiled by the defence minister to revitalise the Georgian Defence Forces.

In parallel with refurbing the airframes, Georgia Air Force personnel will be retrained, and support infrastructure created.

A video released by the Georgian defence ministry showed twin-seat Su-25UBs ‘20 Blue’ and ‘21 Blue’ being dismantled at Marneuli and transported to TAM.

At least six single-seat Su-25Ks, including ‘03 Blue’, ‘16 Blue’ and ‘25 Blue’, were also visible at Marneuli awaiting their turn for transport to the workshops.

Georgia is believed to have about 10 single-seat Sukhoi Su-25Ks and two Sukhoi Su-25UBs remaining in its inventory, along with around three Mil Mi-24Ps and two Mil Mi-24Vs.

Source: AirForces Monthly - September 2020

Photo: Georgian Air Force Su-25UB ‘20 Blue’ being dismantled at Marneuli Air Base prior to being transported by road to TAM in Tbilisi where it will be upgraded and made airworthy. (Photo by Georgian MoD)

Editor: Huseyin Qadirov (Turkish World ©XAirForces News Editor from Baku/Azerbaijan)
Facebook.com/huseyin.qadirov – hseyin.qadirov@yandex.com

Georgia to return stored Mi-24P/Vs and Su-25K/UBs to service


(11.09.2020)