Today Defence

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF GEORGIA PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT 2011

2 MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF GEORGIA TODAY 2011

Official Visits

Celeste Wallander
Visit to the Republic of Armenia in Cadets Military Lyceum
The Minister of Defence of Georgia Bacho Akhalaia paid an On February 1, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense,
official visit to the Republic of Armenia on April 19. In the frame- Doctor Celeste Wallander, visited Georgia with the purpose to at-
work of the official visit he met with his Armenian counterpart tend the Georgian Defense Conference (GDC). Doctor Wallander
Seyran Ohanyan and the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan. An
Visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan together with the Deputy Defense Minister Nodar Kharshiladze
expanded meeting was also held with the participation of the rep- Minister of Defense of Georgia Bacho Akhalaia paid an offi- visited Cadets Military Lyceum. The US deputy assistant secre-
resentatives of the Defence Ministries of Georgia and Armenia. cial visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan on May 17. The Georgian tary of defense with her accompanying delegation became acquaint-
The meeting was attended by the defence ministers, their deputies, minister held meetings with his Azeri counterpart Colonel General ed with the Lyceum, its infrastructure, classrooms, dormitory build-
the leadership of the Armed Forces and the heads of various de- Safar Abiyev and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Heydar Oglu ings, recreational and dining facilities, as well as its basketball and
partments. The main topics of discussion at the meeting were the Aliyev. football stadiums. “We came to Georgia to visit the cadets’ acad-
ongoing defence reforms, participation in international missions During the meetings, the main topics discussed were the reli- emy as part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense visit to Geor-
and military education. The Georgian Defense Minister offered to able and stable relations within the region and the defence reforms gia. We witnessed a very impressive Georgian cadet’s academy,
share with his Armenian counterpart his ten years of experience achieved between Georgia and Azerbaijan, including military ed- which was very modern. We visited the classrooms and recreational
participating in the international operations. He also informed his ucation. Georgian Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia offered his facilities. We were overall very impressed and we think it can be
colleague about the plan to establish a regional training center in Azeri counterpart the opportunity to train the military servicemen a very important piece of Georgia’s focus on institution building
Georgia, where Georgian military servicemen, military units at the of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces at the Sachkhere Mountain Train- in the Georgian armed forces, which we think will help Georgia
battalion level from Armenia, the countries of the Caucasus, the ing School. with its Euro-Atlantic integration,” said the Pentagon’s Country
Black Sea and the central Asian regions will be trained in interna- The Georgian side expressed its readiness to share their experi- Director for Georgia and Moldova, Mark Simakovsky.
tional operations. According to the statement of the Georgian Min- ence of participating in the international peacekeeping missions to
ister of Defense, the preparation of units by joint exercises will be their Azeri colleagues. In the framework of the visit, the Georgian
more effective in terms of sparing time and financial resources in defense minister laid a wreath at the cemetery of Heydar Aliyev
comparison to other European training centers. Bacho Akhalaia and went sightseeing in Baku.
expressed his readiness to provide training to the Armenian mili-
tary servicemen at Sachkhere Mountain Training School, which
has been awarded the status of a NATO “Partnership for Peace”
training and educational centre. The Armenian Defense Ministry
showed the Georgian delegation the Vazgen Sarkisyan Military
Institute and briefed them on the educational system of the mili-
tary personnel and their living conditions.

Lieutenant General Jurgen
Bornemann visits Georgia
Lieutenant General Jurgen Bornemann, the Director General
of International Military Staff of NATO met with the Chief of the
Visit to the Republic of Turkey Visit to the Republic of Poland Joint Staff of GAF Major-General Devi Chankotadze on Febru-
Georgian Defense Minister Bacho Akhalia held a meeting with Georgian Minister of Defense Bacho Akhalaia paid a two-day ary 1. The key topics of bilateral discussion included cooperation
his Turkish counterpart, National Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül official visit to Poland on June 1. The Georgian defense minister in the field of education, peacekeeping operations and defence
on May 12. The two colleagues discussed cooperation issues with- held face to face meetings with his Polish counterpart Bogdan reforms in the defence system of Georgia. After the meeting,
in the defence sphere between Georgia and Turkey. The bilateral Klich. The delegations of the both countries also held meetings NATO’s top military official took a tour of the Krtsanisi National
military cooperation between Georgia and Turkey covers a wide with each other. The main topics during the meetings were the Training Center accompanied by Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff,
range of issues, including military education, logistics and issues international peacekeeping missions, the partnership with NATO Colonel Arsen Tsukhishvili.
within the military-technical sphere. and the support given to Georgia on the NATO integration path. The NATO general also met with the personnel of 33 Battal-
The Georgian Defense Minister expressed his gratitude to his Special attention was paid to the common plans in the frame- ion of III Infantry Brigade, which is currently being prepared to
Turkish colleague for the support and practical assistance provid- work of the European Union. rotate the 32nd Battalion servicemen (after 6 months of service)
ed by Turkey for the development of the Georgian Armed Forces. According to Minister Klich, these plans will be the main work- in Afghanistan. Jurgen Bornemann had the opportunity to see
Bacho Akhalaia expressed hope that Georgian-Turkish coopera- ing topics for Poland during its future presidency of the Europe- the Simulation Center located at the Krtsanisi Training Base.
tion will continue in the future as well. an Union. “You know that Georgia enjoys full support of Poland “I am visiting Georgia at a very interesting time when the re-
Bacho Akhalaia was accompanied by a delegation from the on its NATO integration path. Next year Poland will take up the lationship between Georgia and the North Atlantic Treaty Orga-
Georgian Defense Ministry on an official visit to Turkey. On 10- role of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European nization is entering a new stage. I am visiting Georgia in order to
12 May, Turkey hosted the 10th International Defense Industry Union. Georgia will have the full support in this direction as well. take part in the Annual Defence Conference tomorrow where the
Fair 2011 (IDEF-11). The event was organized under the auspices During the meeting today, we discussed all the above-mentioned Georgian authorities represent their first findings of their Nation-
and support of the Ministry of National Defense and under the important issues. The main topics of discussion were the NATO- al Defence review and I am very much looking forward to listen-
management and responsibility of the Turkish Armed Forces Foun- led ISAF operation and strengthening [our] cooperation in the ing to how Georgia is developing its own armed forces. Of course,
dation. The 10th International Defense Industry Fair was attended military educational field between Georgia and Poland,” declared I am also here to discuss the status of cooperation between Geor-
by 621 local and foreign companies and company representatives the Polish defense minister. gia and NATO. I can tell you and report to you that we had a very
from 48 countries, some of which are leaders in the defence indus- Representatives of the Polish and Georgian defense ministries successful year in 2010 where a lot of cooperation activities had
try. In addition to companies, 84 delegations visited the fair in- agreed to deepen relations in the military education field. The been implemented and we are looking very much forward to con-
cluding 419 foreign delegation members from 70 countries. Among Georgian defense minister offered to help his counterpart pre- tinuing this cooperation with Georgia this year. Of course, that is
guests were ministers, chiefs of armed forces and high-level mili- pare the personnel of the Polish Armed Forces in Sachkhere the reason why we are here in the training centre. One of the
tary and civilian officials. The event is the best place to exchange Mountain Training School in autumn. This school has been award- focuses of cooperation between NATO and Georgia is the partic-
views and the best opportunity to establish important business con- ed the status of a Partnership for Peace Program Centre. Bogdan ipation of the Georgian Armed Forces in the NATO-led ISAF
nections. The international exhibition is also an important plat- Klich offered to send an expert to the National Defence Acade- operation in Afghanistan. It is a great pleasure for me to consider
form for the development of regional cooperation within the mili- my of Georgia next year who to deliver a course on the peace- that Georgia has sent troops to this NATO-led operation. Georgia
tary industry. The participants have an opportunity to get the new- keeping missions. is the second largest non-NATO contributor and with this, Geor-
est information about technological achievements and programs. The Georgian defense ministry delegation held meetings with gia is supporting the NATO operation in Afghanistan in a very
They also have the opportunity to view the latest modern military members of the National Defense Committee in the Sejm and the efficient and excellent manner,” said the General Director of in-
equipment and armaments. head of the National Security Bureau of the Republic of Poland. ternational Military Staff in an interview with journalists.

2011 MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF GEORGIA TODAY
3

Official Visits

Visit of Bulgarian Chief of Defence
Chief of Defence of Bulgaria General Simeon Simeonov paid a
three-day official visit to Georgia. On June 21 Chief of Joint Staff
Visit of James Appathurai of Georgian Armed Forces Major-General Devi Chankotadze held
On an official visit to Georgia, James Appathurai, the NATO a meeting with General Simeonov along with the delegation mem-
Secretary General’s Special Representative for the South Cauca- ber of the General Staff of the Republic of Bulgaria. Within the Speech of NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen
sus and Central Asia met with the Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia meeting the Georgian and Bulgarian counterparts discussed issues and the Georgian Defence Minister Bachana Akhalaia at the home-
on April 7. Topics of discussion at the meeting were Georgia’s con- over the ongoing reforms and cooperation perspectives in defence coming ceremony of the Georgian servicemen who served in ISAF
tribution to the NATO-led ISAF peacekeeping mission in Afghan- sphere. The sides expressed their willingness and readiness to share
istan, the preparation for the Berlin Ministerial, the ongoing re- experience in military education. Later Chief of Defence of Bul- Minister, Excellencies, soldiers, ladies and gentlemen, I am very
forms in the Defense Ministry and the various activities carried garia paid tribute to the honor of the heroes fallen in the war for honored to have the opportunity to say a few words at this ceremony
out within the framework of the NATO- Georgia partnership. James the territorial integrity of Georgia and decorated the memorial of to welcome back from Afghanistan the brave soldiers of the 33rd light
Appathurai held meetings with the Georgian Minister of Foreign the heroes with wreath at Mukhatgverdi Military cemetery. The infantry battalion.
Affairs Grigol Vashadze and Vice-Premier Giorgi Baramidze. He delegation from the Republic of Bulgaria visited the squadron in For many years Georgia has been a major contributor to our com-
also visited Ivane Javakhishvili State University where he met stu- Marneuli region as well. mon effort to ensure that Afghanistan will never again be a safe ha-
dents and academic personnel. Within the official visit, NATO’s ven for terrorists and extremists.
top official also met with Giga Bokeria, the Head of the National Nearly a thousand Georgian troops are serving in Afghanistan to-
Security Council and members of the Georgian Parliament. day. They are doing a great job. And you, members of the 33rd light
infantry battalion have done a great job. Your duties in Helmand prov-
ince were particularly demanding but you met that challenge suc-
cessfully and displayed considerable courage. You are not only a credit
to your battalion and your brigade, but you are a credit to your entire
country.
The Georgian government has announced its intention to make a
further engagement for our common effort. Once those troops are in
place Georgia will be the largest non NATO contributor. For a coun-
try of just over 4.5 million people that is an enormous achievement.
And it is the contribution for which all NATO is extremely grateful.
We’re now entering a crucial period in our engagement in Afghan-
James Stavridis Visited Georgia istan. We have broken the momentum of the insurgency. The transi-
NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe Admiral James tion of our security responsibilities to the Afghans is on track to be
Stavridis paid a two-day official visit to Georgia. The U.S. Admi- completed by the end of 2014. And you have all been the key part of
ral visited the Georgian Defence Ministry August 25. The NATO the progress we have made. We will continue to stand by the Afghan
Commander was received by the Minister of Defence of Georgia people throughout transaction and beyond.
Bacho Akhalaia. Defence Minister briefed the NATO’s Supreme We will continue helping them to establish the country as stable,
Allied Commander Europe about the ongoing reforms in defence peaceful and increasingly prosperous member of the international
sphere. At the meeting the sides discussed Georgia’s participation community of nations. And I am confident that Georgia will be the
in ISAF (International Security Assistance Forces) operation. As part of this continuing commitment.
Admiral James Stavridis declared after the meeting, he is very proud Afghanistan is a very demanding mission for all our nations and
of the Georgian soldiers who are taking part in ISAF operation. “I for all our militaries. But it is also a vitally important mission for the
am very happy to be here today in Tbilisi, in Georgia to say thank security of all our nations and that of all our citizens.
you to the Republic of Georgia for the outstanding participation in Your service in Afghanistan is also vitally important in another
Afghanistan. We are very proud of the soldiers from Georgia who way. It makes the personnel of the Georgian Armed Forces better
have fought alongside the rest of the NATO coalition,” declared prepared to work alongside their colleagues from NATO in other mis-
Stavridis. “Admiral Stavridis is NATO’s highest ranking military sions too, and this is a key part of your countries preparations for
The UK Defence officer and at the same time the Commander of the United States NATO membership. So you have not only Afghanistan standing on
European Command. We discussed the ISAF operation and Geor- its own feet, but also help Georgia to move closer to Alliance mem-
Minister Visits Georgia gia’s participation in the mission. You are aware of the fact that bership. And this is one more reason for you to be very proud of what
The Defense Minister of the United Kingdom for International Georgia is not only one of the largest but also one of the most you have accomplished.
Security Strategy, Gerald Howarth paid an official visit to Georgia important contributors to the operation,” declared Defence Minis- Let me thank each and everyone of you in the 33rd light infantry
on June 6. The main purpose of his visit to Georgia was to strengthen ter Akhalaia after the meeting. battalion once again for your outstanding contribution to the progress
relations within the defence sphere between the two countries. The of our common endeavor in Afghanistan. And let me close by paying
United Kingdom’s minister for international security strategy held tribute to the Georgian soldiers who have paid the highest price in
meeting with Georgian Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia. During that endeavor. We must make sure and we will make sure that their
the meeting, both sides focused on the existing security situation sacrifice has not been in vain.
in the region, Georgia’s integration to NATO and the ongoing re-
forms in the defence sphere. In the framework of the official visit, Defence Minister Bacho Akhalaia
Gerald Howarth also met with the First Deputy Defense Minister
Nodar Kharshiladze and the leadership of MoD and Joint Staff of Dear Mr. Secretary-General and distinguished guests,
the Georgian Armed Forces. He also visited the NATO-Georgia I have the honor to welcome you and the members of North-At-
Professional Development Program (PDP) Center and held meet- lantic Council in Georgia. So I am pinning my hopes to the fact that
ings with the program manager and participants. the aforementioned visit will be another step forward in the deepen-
After the meeting Gerald Howarth made a statement for the ing of NATO-Georgia relationship.
media: “I am delighted to be visiting Tbilisi and to reaffirm my I reckon that our soldiers have contributed a lot in the way of the
country’s support for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations. The UK mission’s accomplishment and that they have fulfilled their duties to
continues to provide Georgia with assistance to make the neces- the highest level. At the same time, they are procuring a lot of experi-
sary reforms for NATO membership. Therefore, I am pleased to Secretary of the U.S. Navy Ray Mabus ence by which they are strengthening the Georgian Armed Forces.
announce today that the UK will provide a new full-time security We have already conducted the fourth rotation under the US Com-
defense advisor, who will work within Georgia’s Ministry of De- at the Defence Ministry mand and right now we are in the middle of pre-deployment exercis-
fence. Georgia remains an important friend of the United King- Secretary of the U.S. Navy Ray Mabus paid a two-day official es. As you should be aware, in the year to come, another battalion
dom. We fight alongside each other in Afghanistan and I want to visit to Georgia. Secretary of the U.S. Navy was hosted by the will take part in the ISAF mission from Georgia.
personally thank the people of Georgia for the sacrifices made in Georgian Defence Minister Bacho Akhalaia on November 18. At In parallel with the operations conducted by NATO, we are forced
pursuit of global peace and stability”. The basic field of coopera- the meeting the Georgian Defence Minister briefed the American to be acting in a very heavy and grave security settings, which is very
tion with Great Britain is educational sphere. Within the frame of official about the ongoing defence reforms in Georgia. U.S. – Geor- demanding in terms of the fact that we have to proceed with the re-
British Military Advisory Training Team (BMATT) Georgian in- gian bilateral cooperation in defence sphere, Georgia’s NATO in- covery from the damages inflicted by the August War and on the oth-
structors undergo annual training on the international peacekeep- tegration prospects and Georgia’s participation in ISAF (Interna- er hand, we have to continue the transformation of the defence sphere.
ing operations issues in Military Academy in Viskovo (Czech Re- tional Security Assistance Force) were the topics of discussion at And finally, I’d like one more time to emphasize that participation
public). The representatives of the Georgian Defence Ministry are the meeting. Secretary of the U.S. Navy Ray Mabus visited the by Georgia in the activities of the alliance is another manifestation
also able to undergo command and staff, English language and Krtsanisi National Training Center and attended the military train- that Georgia is ready to become a full- fledged member of the North
international relations training courses in Great Britain. ings of the Georgian and U.S. military servicemen. Atlantic Alliance.


On the 26th of May, Independence
Military Parade 2011 comprises 297 students. It fully com-
Day was officially announced by the plies with international standards and the
recorded voice of the prominent Geor- cadets enjoy free medical service, ade-
gian poet Akaki Tsereteli. quate messing, various kinds of uni-
The military parade, which was ded- forms, as well as school equipment.
icated to Georgia’s Independence Day, Along with the general educational pro-
was commanded by the Chief of Joint gram, they are intensively familiarizing
Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces themselves with military life and under-
(GAF), Maj.-Gen. Devi Chankotadze. go rigorous physical preparation.
Before the appearance of the Su- The march was continued by the mil-
preme Commander-in-Chief of the itary personnel of the Joint Staff and
Georgian Armed Forces Mikheil Land Forces Command.
Saakashvili, the Chief of Joint Staff of They were followed by military per-
the GAF gave the command for readi- sonnel from the Training and Military
ness for the military parade. He then re- Education Command. Military units of
ported to the Supreme Commander-in- the Land Forces also marched at the
Chief that the military personnel were Parade. Parade was led by the command-
lined-up, and then the president and the ers of military units of the I Infantry
army greeted one another. Upon receiv- Brigade, II Infantry Brigade, III Infan-
ing the order, Georgia’s military person- try Brigade, IV Infantry Brigade, Sepa-
nel took “at ease” position. There was a rate Light Infantry Battalion, I Artillery
minute of silence and then the president Brigade, II Artillery Brigade, Engineer-
began his speech… By the end of the ing Brigade, Separate Communication
speech, the president granted “Brilliance Battalion, aviation sub-units of land
Awards” to the following people: forces, National Guard and special op-
eration forces.
1. Rusudan Petviashvili Order was awarded to After the oath-taking ceremony, the nel were carrying the flags of the Geor- The parade also featured various
2. Vakhtang Machavariani Corporal Sadghobelashvili Ilia Georgian National Anthem was per- gian state and various branches of the types of armored vehicles, among them
3. Tariel Chanturia 1st Lieutenant Tsirdava Tengiz formed. The anthem was sung by Geor- Georgian Armed Forces. The column a new armored vehicle “Didgori” that
4. Rezo Gabriadze and Major Kutkhashvili Slava gian singer Nini Badurashvili and was was manned with personnel from the appeared at the military parade for the
5. Otar Zurabishvili accompanied by the Defence Ministry’s ceremonial company. first time, also Hammer Type Armored
6. Natela Zhordania For the first time in the history of military band. The standard-bearers were followed Vehicle, Armored Vehicle “Cobra”, Ar-
7. Rejeb Zhordania military parades and within the frame- The commander of the military pa- by the students of the Cadets Military mored Vehicle “Wolf”, Armored-Vehi-
8. Tamar Chkhenkeli work of the formal ceremony, the grad- rade gave instructions concerning the Lyceum, who took part in the military cle, Armored Vehicle “Ejder”, Artillery
9. Gogita Vashadze uates of the National Defence Academy parade that meant the regrouping of per- parade for the first time. The Cadets System “MTSA”, Artillery System “Gi-
10. David Sakvarelidze took the military oath. Ninety-four grad- sonnel, giving them direction of move- Military Lyceum started functioning in atsint”, self-propelled artillery system
11. David Lortkipanidze uates, only one woman among them, ment and the keeping of distance. The the beginning of the current academic “DANA” Multiple Rocket Launcher
12. Arvidas Sabonis knelt down and swore the oath of alle- standard-bearers started moving in a year (September 13, 2010). The educa- “RM-70.
13. Tamar Kvesitadze giance. After the ceremony, they were straight line and the rest to the right. tional institution was formally unveiled The parade was wrapped up by over
14. Mamuka Gvaramia granted the rank of Lieutenant. After the The military parade was opened by by the president of Georgia. The idea of flight of various types of aviation: Heli-
15. Genadi Qachibaia military parade, they will continue serv- the column of standard-bearers led by the reestablishment of the Cadets Lyce- copter UH-1H, Helicopter MI-8, Heli-
ing in the various units of the Georgian Deputy-Chief-of-Staff of the GAF, Col. um belongs to Mikheil Saakashvili. copter MI-24, High Performance Jet “L-
The Vakhtang Gorgasali III Rank Armed Forces. Arsen Tsukhishvili. The military person- Right now, the Cadets Military Lyceum 39”, Jet Aircraft SU-25.

5

“Didgori”

“Didgori” is a newly created be mounted on the Georgian ultra-modern equipment and equipped with a night vision de-
vehicle, just a few days old, Didgori. At this stage, two kinds communications systems. The vice with a full rotation of 360º
though as its Georgian manufac- of vehicles are created. One is crew inside the vehicle can use and an optical zoom X36. The
turers say, it is already experi- smaller with more maneuver- the internal radio communica- combat vehicle is equipped with
enced. The Didgori combat ve- ability and another is larger in tion (i.e. contact the driver and a 10 watt Harris radio system
hicle has been designed by Geor- size. 7.62 mm “MINIGUN” sys- commander) within 5 km radi- that enables the crew to commu-
gians after a thorough study of tems also called “Volcanos” nicate within 11 km radius.
comparable models throughout which provide a high rate of fire It is possible to install vari-
the world. After its design, it was ous kinds of systems that will
tested according to international make the Georgian Didgori more
standards. Before its final forma- effective.
tion, several test models were The intelligence vehicle has
created. They were tested ac- additional hatches; so the crew
cording to various param- can open fire without leav-
eters and the armor protec- ing the vehicle.
tion has also been checked “This vehicle satisfies
several times. The Didgori the requirements of sol-
combat vehicle is a multi- diers. It is fast and mo-
function armored person- bile. The main demand
nel carrier that can also be from our side, from sol-
used for intelligence purpos- diers with regard to mil-
es, convoy operations and mov- itary equipment is the
ing on a battlefield. The Didgori security parameters. In
is very maneuverable and fast, this case, the level of se-
so it is very useful for Special curity is considered to be
Forces. According to informa- at the highest level. The major
tion provided by its constructors, advantage of Didgori is that it is
it is more protected than required Georgian! It is produced in Geor-
by NATO STANAG II. This gia and it makes us feel proud,
class provides protection from as well as its name!” – Aleko
7.62/54 type armor penetrable Gorgadze, Master Sergeant of IV
bullets, although the exact pa- Infantry Brigade.
rameters of armor is kept secret. “Experience and views of the
As for the bottom armor, it is cre- Georgian soldiers, also, the prin-
ated with the “sandwich” multi- ciples of projecting and design-
layer system. It has three layers. servicemen. quality, hardness, etc. For the ing have been considered while
The middle layer provides the · Speed – average speed most part, the armor of the creating this vehicle. This has
possibility to keep off the blast 100-120 km/h Didgori is innovative, and the happened for the first time in
wave in case of mine explosion. · Fuel capacity – enables it idea belongs entirely to Georgian Georgia” – Zviad Tsikolia.
The other two layers protect the to cover 500 km constructors. The creation of in- Production of its own military
crew from fragmentation. The (12, 000 to 15, 000 rounds per · Weight – 7 tons novative armor enabled the us. The vehicle is equipped with equipment is very important for
tires are armored as well. Each minute) are mounted on one of · Designer of “Didgori-1” is Georgian constructors to design thermal cameras that enable the any country. Compared to pro-
tire can resist up to ten shots. It them and a 12.7 mm machine- a famous car designer Zviad the Didgori in a way to make its crew to move with its search- curement, production is finan-
has an extra layer of protection. gun is mounted on the other. Tsikolia weight 30% lighter compared to lights turned off and at the same cially beneficial. The mainte-
Even if the tire is damaged, the The constructors considered similar vehicles. In addition, its time remain undetected by ene- nance in- place is also faster and
vehicle can cover 50-60 kilome- · Crew – “Didgori 1” – 8+1 the technology that exists in the armor is firmer than the rest of my forces. The telescope system requires fewer finances. It can be
ters at the speed of 80km/h. Sev- (machine-gunner), “Didgori 2” – armor industry of the world, the vehicles of the same class. can also be mounted on the back freely counted as one more ad-
eral types of weapon systems can 6+1 (machine-gunner) military namely, mine resistance, armor The Didgori is equipped with platform of the vehicle. It is vantage of Didgori.


Georgian Contingent on ISAF Mission
principle, new company joins the
NATO-led security operation in Afghan-
istan every 6 months.
Defence Minister awarded the Georgian
Each Georgian Peace Company, go-
ing to deploy in Afghanistan, went
military servicemen for participation in
through training courses at the Sach-
khere Mountain-Training School in full
international peacekeeping mission
compliance with NATO standards for
two weeks. During the trainings the
Georgian Armed Forces were specially
prepared for counterinsurgency opera-
tions.
Since April 2010, a total of 750 ser-
vicemen of 31st Infantry Battalion of
III Infantry Brigade of GAF were sent
to the province of Helmand, the south
province of Afghanistan. The Georgian
peace contingent was carrying out there
a full spectrum of security operations
side by side with the US military forc-
es. During November 2010, the 31st
Battalion, been deployed in Afghani-
stan, was rotated by the 32nd Battalion
of III Infantry Brigade. Since
April 2011, the 33rd Battalion had per- An award ceremony for military servicemen of the III Infantry Brigade of the
formed a peacekeeping mission in the Georgian Armed Forces was held in Kutaisi on July 6. “For participation in the
Afghan province of Helmand. After six international peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan”, service and state rewards
months of service, in November 2011, were granted to the 32nd Battalion and Infantry Company personnel who had
749 military servicemen of 31st Bat- participated in the ISAF mission. The Defence Minister of Georgia, Bacho Akhala-
talion of III Infantry Brigade replaced ia, the leadership of GAF and the son of Colonel Ramaz Gogishvili, who had
33rd Battalion step by step. The Geor- died in Afghanistan, awarded the soldiers.
gian peacekeeping battalion is perform- 1,019 military servicemen received medals for participating in the international
ing the security mission in Afghanistan mission. Four soldiers were awarded the Vakhtang Gorgasali III rank order, and
as part of the US military contingent. 122 military servicemen were rewarded with the state and service medals.
It is already a second rotation for the
31st battalion personnel, who are char- Hohenfels. They were instructed in de- Besides, since April, 2011 Georgian
Georgia is one of the largest con- tors have been performing peace mis- acterized with a high level of combat fence, searching, cordon, convoy, military instructors have been carrying
tributors per capita to the ISAF mili- sion in the province integrated in the preparation and experience. evacuation operations as well as in out peacekeeping mission in Kandahar
tary operation ongoing under the aegis Lithuanian contingent reconstruction The above-mentioned battalions skills of communication with leaders province, Afghanistan as part of the
of NATO in Afghanistan. Initially, up group by 6 months rotation. have undergone 6 month intensive and population they will have to in- French peace contingent.
to 50 military servicemen were de- Since November 2009, first Georgian training in the Krtsanisi Training Cen- teract with during the mission. Geor- Participation in international peace-
ployed in the peacekeeping mission in peacekeeping company was deployed in tre under the guidance of Expedition- gian soldiers‘ preparedness level to keeping missions provides Georgian
2004, whose main duty there was to Kabul, Afghanistan to accomplish the ary Brigade of US Marine Corps. The engage in particular peace support op- soldiers with an opportunity to obtain
insure security during local presiden- mission there as a part of the French Battalion personnel have also gone erations in Afghanistan was positive- practical combat experience and to dem-
tial elections. Afterwards, from No- peace contingent at the military base through preparation in the US Joint ly evaluated by both the Centre’s ex- onstrate the country’s readiness to co-
vember 2009, in the town of Ghor prov- “Warehouse” of the Regional Com- Multinational Readiness Centre perts and Trainers and Advisors Group operate with NATO and its partner
ince, Chaghcharan, the Georgian doc- mand’s HQs. According to the rotation (JMRC) based in the German city of of US Marines. states‘armed forces.

7

Letter by General David H.
Petraeus to Georgian Defence
Minister Bachana Akhalaia
Your forces have been very success-
ful in partnering with the Afghan Na-
tional Security Force and with local Af-
ghan Government leaders. Together they
have conducted numerous operations
and implemented many initiatives to
increase security and stability. Your
troopers’ effective interactions with the
Afghan people have led to increased
Hollywood movie star Tom Cruise visited Georgian military servicemen at the military
confidence in both ISAF and GIRoA hospital in Germany. During the visit the military hospital Tom Cruise took a
security forces. As an example, the area memorable photo with private of the 33rd Battalion of the 3rd Infantry Brigade
where they operate is southern Musa Akhmed Saparov. The 33rd Battalion of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, where private
Qaleh is now patrolled on foot, result- Saparov serves, has already left Afghanistan and been rotated by the 31st Battalion.
Private Saparov will return to Georgia after the first course of his treatment
ing in better relationships with the Af-
ghan people. Your troopers are truly cou-
rageous in conducting these foot patrols,
which place them at greater risk of in-
surgent attacks.
Much of the credit for improved se-
curity in southern Musa Qaleh is attrib-
utable to the outstanding leadership of
your battalion commanders: Lieutenant
Colonel Phridoni Tereladze and Major
Alexander Tugushi. Both possesses su-
perior knowledge of their areas of oper-
ation, maintain good discipline of their
forces, and plan sound operations to re-
duce the insurgents’ influence on the
people.
Major General Richard Mills, Com-
mander of Regional Command-South-
west, has been very pleased with the
leadership of both the 31st and 32nd
Battalions. He informed me that your
troopers are motivated and disciplined, Hollywood Film Star and a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees Angelina Jolie visited Georgian military servicemen in
and that they approach their mission
the military hospital in Germany. Georgian peacekeepers served under the US peace
with a positive attitude. Other favorable contingent in Helmand province within the ISAF (International Security Assistance
comments about your troops have been Force) peacekeeping mission
echoed up and down the levels of com-
mand, reinforcing their well-earned
reputation as tough, smart, and profes-
sional.
Thanks again, for your Nation’s com-
mitment to the Afghan people and the
campaign here. I look forward to con-
tinuing our work together to help the
Afghanistan Government provide a
more secure and prosperous future for
its people.

Very respectfully,
His Excellency Bachana Akhalaia and 32nd (November 2010-present) David H. Petraeus,
Georgian Battalions have been integral General, United States Army Com-
Dear Excellency, to the growing success of our efforts mander
I greatly appreciate your Nation’s to improve security and stability, spe- International Security Assistance
contributions to the NATO ISAF mis- cifically in Nimruz and Helmand Force / United States Forces-Afghani-
sion. The 31st (April-November 2010) Provinces. stan

The first lady of the United States Michelle Obama visited the injured Georgian
military servicemen who were transferred to the German Hospital from Helmand

On June 9 during the NATO Defence Ministerial in Brussels Georgia’s Minister of Defence, Bacho Akhalaia and David Petraeus, the
Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) discussed the decision to send an additional Georgian battalion to Commander of the US Marine Corps General James Amos and Sergeant Major of the US
Afghanistan. Bacho Akhalaia and David Petraeus also talked about the possibility of establishing a NATO- standard regional training Marine Corps Carlton Kent visited Georgian serviceman Alika Gitolendia, who was
facility. General Petraeus welcomed the initiative to set up a facility that would provide pre-deployment training for international wounded in Afghanistan. Corporal of the 31st Battalion Gitolendia exploded on the IED
operations (improvised explosive device) during his service in ISAF Mission


Georgian Defence Conference Georgian State Minister for European
and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Mr. Gior-
gi Baramidze. In his opening remarks
the minister spoke about the significance
of the meeting. The Chairman of the
Civil Council on Defence and Security,
Mr. Erekle Mchedlishvili, highlighted
the transparency and active participation
of public society in the ongoing process-
es in the defence sphere.
In his speech, NATO General Direc-
tor of the International Military Staff,
Lieutenant General Jurgen Bornemann
Defence Minister
discussed such topics as NATO’s new
functions, current challenges and future
vision after the Lisbon Summit, as well
the importance of the ISAF operation
attended NATO meeting
and Georgia’s participation in the mis- Bacho Akhalaia, Georgia’s Defence stan to assist the local military to be
sion. Minister attended the NATO Defence able to take control of the security sit-
One of the major topics for the con- Ministerial Meeting of the North At- uation on the ground.”
ference was Georgia’s new reserve sys- lantic Council (NAC) in NATO HQ, In an interview with the media,
tem and issues concerning civil defence. Brussels, on March 10-11. The meet- Grigol Mgaloblishvili, Georgian Am-
The Deputy Head of J-5, a division of ing was opened by the NATO Secre- bassador to NATO, also underlined the
the Joint Staff of Georgia, Lieutenant tary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen. importance of sending instructors to
The Georgian Defence Conference the Lisbon Summit, global security chal- Colonel Omar Begoidze, and member The meeting was open to non-Nato Afghanistan: “The decision to send an
held in February in the city of Batumi, lenges, defence reforms, the Georgian of the parliamentary opposition, Nick ISAF-contribution nations, and saw de- additional military contingent is very
like its predecessors, sought to give in- reserve system and defence transforma- Laliashvili, shared their opinions on the fence ministers from across the Afghan important. This spring, 11 instructors
terested parties the opportunity to dis- tion and transparency. An emphasis was issue. Major General William T. Nes- mission discuss ways of securing sta- will be deployed in Afghanistan, and
cuss the existing security environment made on the new reserve and civil de- bitt made an interesting presentation on bility in the war-torn country and out- as for the [further 9 instructors] we are
in Georgia and the ongoing defence re- fence systems, and the Strategic Review the American reserve system. line plans for the future. in the process of dealing with some
forms in its armed forced. At the Forum, Document renewed by Georgian De- The fifth panel of the conference dis- At the opening of the meeting, Ras- technical details,” said the Ambassador.
organized by the Georgian Defence fence Ministry, which reports on cussed defence transparency and the mussen offered his condolences to the The Defence Minister held individ-
Ministry, a wide range of delegations progress on aspects of national security public’s contribution to the security de- families and loved ones of the ISAF and ual meetings with his British, Bulgari-
from Georgia and foreign countries were relating to defence, and outlines the cision-making process. Afghan soldiers who have been killed an and other foreign colleagues within
given the opportunity to hold open dis- Georgian Armed Forces plans for devel- The UK Special Defence Advisor to or injured in Afghanistan. He told those the framework of the Ministerial.
cussions on new challenges in the glo- opment up to 2015. the Georgian Defence Ministry, Mr. in attendance that it is thanks to the Participants at the meeting discussed
bal security sphere. Delegates at the conference had a Steven Glover, presented his vision of courage and selfless sacrifice of those the new security challenges arising from
The conference has become a year- good opportunity to discuss not only British defence and security, and how it who have lost their lives, that consid- the situation in Libya and the longer-
ly tradition, and the number of dele- Georgian defence issues, but also broad- related to the Georgian strategic review erable progress has been achieved by term prospects for the Middle East. In
gates attending the event has grown er security questions. The Vice-Minis- document. The Head of the Planning and the coalition forces: “We are putting addition to this, the two-day ministerial
year to year. This year, the conference ter of National Defence of Lithuania, Analysis Department of the Chamber of great pressure on the insurgency and meeting also saw a new concept on Cy-
was proud to welcome distinguished, Vytautas Umbrasas told Defence Today: Control of Georgia, Mr. Levan Alapish- are taking away many of the safe ha- ber-Security approved by the delegation.
high-ranking representatives from “I feel that this conference was very use- vili, concluded the conference themati- vens that they have relied upon. This Ministers also took crucial steps to-
NATO, the USA and other partner ful and very positive. I hope, as I heard cally, reviewing issues related to the has helped to create a safer and more wards the implementation of “Transi-
countries, as well as members of the from the [Georgian] Deputy Defence state budget and defence reforms. secure environment in many parts of tion” - the process by which security
diplomatic corps. The list of the guests Minister, it will continue to become a The Georgian Defence Conference Afghanistan. Our strategy is working”, responsibility for Afghanistan is being
at the Conference also included repre- larger, broader and deeper event every 2011, held in Batumi, will be remem- declared Rasmussen. He thanked the gradually transferred to Afghan lead-
sentatives from Georgian governmen- year. I hope that next year will also have bered for the attendance of many high- Afghan national security forces for ership. As a result of the meeting, the
tal and non-governmental agencies, the many good speakers, meetings and op- ranking dignitaries, interesting discus- their close partnership and confirmed Afghan government will now decide on
parliamentary majority and opposition portunities to discuss important securi- sion, the sharing of experiences and that they are ready to gradually assume the areas in which the transition pro-
parties, and independent experts in the ty questions. It is very important for planning for the future. The conference the lead responsibility for the security gram will be implemented. Transition
defence and security sphere. Georgia, and for the region, and maybe is one more step forward for Georgia in of their nation and their people. will commence only once it has been
Within the framework of the two-day for other regions as well,” Umbrasas terms of deepening regional and inter- Minister of Defence of Georgia, Ba- approved by the Afghan government
conference, a range of important issues explained. national cooperation in the security cho Akhalaia also delivered speech at and announced by President Karzai.
were discussed, including NATO after The conference was opened by the sphere. the meeting. Mr. Akhalaia briefed the The Ministers also discussed and
audience on the state of Georgia’s par- agreed upon the principles by which

NATO Defence Ministerial in Brussels ticipation in the operation and the coun-
try’s future plans in this regard. Geor-
gia continues to be fully committed to
Transition will be implemented. They
emphasized the fact that Transition is
not an event but a process, and that it
Georgian Defence Minister Bacho ISAF mission with 929 highly profes- signifies a gradual shift to a genuine
Akhalaia attended the NATO Defence sional soldiers currently deployed on supporting role as Afghan National
Ministerial meeting. The North Atlantic the ground in Afghanistan. While ad- Security Forces (ANSF) capabilities
Council (NAC) met at the level of de- dressing the audience, the Minister re- develop. The Ministers, who were
fence ministers in Brussels, NATO HQ ferred to prospects for future coopera- joined by Afghan Defence Minister
on June 8-9. Within the framework of the tion. He underscored the fact that the Abdul Rahim Wardak, welcomed the
NATO Defence Ministerial, the meeting ISAF conference was taking place progress achieved with regard to the
of the North Atlantic Council has been against a background of a period of strengthening of the ANSF, who are
held in the NATO HQ with non-NATO transition within Afghanistan, and dis- increasingly taking the lead in joint
ISAF contributing Nations. Throughout cussed the coalition’s preparation of operations. Ministers expressed their
the meeting, defence ministers dealt with Afghan national security forces: “As shared goal of seeing the ANSF take the
the ways of securing stability in Afghan- you know we are planning to send up lead and conduct security operations in
istan and set out the future plans. to 20 artillery instructors to Afghani- all provinces by the end of 2014.
The defence meetings of the NAC at
the level of defence ministers were
opened by the NATO Secretary Gener-
Georgian Defence and
al, Anders Fogh Rasmussen. He began
his opening remarks by paying tribute
to the ISAF and Afghan forces that have
Security Conference
been killed or injured in Afghanistan. The 48 NATO and ISAF defence retary General, Anders Fogh Rasmus- The Georgian Defence and Security ing two days the conference participants
“Afghanistan remains our largest oper- ministers reaffirmed their long-term sen. As part of this process, ministers Conference opened at the “Radisson Blu discussed important issues such as the
ation and our key operational priority. commitment to Afghanistan which re- have agreed to work together with the Iveria” Hotel on October 27. Georgian NATO Agenda from Lisbon to Chicago,
And we are making progress, in partic- mains NATO’s top operational priority. Afghan authorities to define the relation- and international representatives dis- Georgia’s NATO membership perspec-
ular in the areas of transition, training, Ministers were updated on the opera- ship between NATO-ISAF and Afghan- cussed the new challenges within the glo- tives, the Black Sea Region within the
and enabling the Afghans to take the tional situation from the Commander of istan after the transition is complete in bal security sphere, the ongoing defence Euro Atlantic security dimension, the
lead,” NATO Secretary General said. ISAF, General David Petraeus, who ex- 2014 and in order to reassure the Af- reforms in Georgia and the achieved challenges of the security sphere, the on-
According to Rasmussen, the Taliban are plained how progress against the insur- ghans of our long-term commitment to progress at the conference organized by going reforms in the Georgian defence
under pressure everywhere, including gency was enabling the transition to their country. This work will help clari- the Ministry of Defence of Georgia. The sphere, the main trends in military edu-
their former strongholds in Helmand and Afghans to start leading in seven dis- fy the likely evolution of security-sup- conference is an important forum for dis- cation, the view of civil society and its
Kandahar provinces. Secretary General tricts and provinces in July, as planned. port to Afghanistan for the years to cussion of defence and security issues. contributions, democratic control and its
Rasmussen took the opportunity on be- “Transition is based on conditions, come. The Georgian governmental and non- existing challenges and the way ahead for
half of the ISAF family to thank outgo- not the calendar. But I am confident that In the framework of the NATO De- governmental organizations, the parlia- the ISAF mission.
ing ISAF Commander General David we can complete our handover of secu- fence Ministerial, the Georgian defence mentary majority, representatives from Along with the forum, Georgian De-
Petraeus for his dedicated service and rity to the Afghans by the end of 2014. minister held bilateral meetings with his opposition parties, experts, high ranking fence Minister Bacho Akhalaia and Vice
extraordinary leadership. He thanked This does not mean we are heading for foreign counterparts. The meeting was officials from international organizations, Prime Minister of Georgia and State
the General for showing firm commit- the exit. Our commitment to Afghani- held with the Commander of Interna- the defence counterparts of partner coun- Minister for European and Euro-Atlan-
ment to the Alliance and the ISAF mis- stan will endure beyond that through our tional Security Assistance Force (ISAF) tries and the diplomatic corps accredited tic Integration Giorgi Baramidze held
sion. long-term partnership”- said NATO Sec- David Petraeus. to Georgia attended the conference. Dur- bilateral meetings with foreign visitors.

9

Cadets Military Lyceum

the Lyceum; these include fire, tacti- The Cadets Military Lyceum is a
cal, engineer, physical and drilling kind of boarding house providing the
preparation, topography-navigation, cadets with adequate accommodation,
first medical aid, humanitarian law on nutrition, medical service and text-
armed conflicts and military history. books. Upon graduation the students
In order to achieve an effective edu- will be awarded with certificates of sec-
cational process, seven departments in ondary education.
each curriculum have been created in The Lyceum offers the best work-
the Cadets Military Lyceum. ing environment, based on a secure, in-
teractive and respectful relationship
The Cadets Military Lyceum began examinations, only 618 perspective among the personnel which is insured
its new academic year on September students made it to the final entrance by the set structure of the Lyceum.
15. The military institution began the phase. Out of 618 applicants, 110 The Cadets self-governance body
academic year with several new inno- students were selected on the basis is also functioning at the Cadets Mili-
vations. This year the cadets will study of the testing results, conducted in tary Lyceum and consists of various
a third foreign language (Turkish) two stages - physical preparation and committees – including the Lyceum
along with other standard compulsory logical aptitude skills. For the 2011- administration, the committee of pub-
foreign languages (English and Rus- 2012 academic years, a total of 352 lic affairs, as well as sports and esthet-
sian). Second and third-year cadets will will receive their education at the ical education. During the academic
also undergo a TOEFEL program. academy. year, cadet Olympiads and creative ed-
The period to obtain and submit The educational process at the Ca- ucational conferences also take place.
the required documents for entrance dets Military Lyceum is carried out on The goal of the military school is to
into the Lyceum Academy was from the basis of the National Curriculum develop the intellectual, cultural,
June 16 to July 4. After successfully developed by the Ministry of Educa- physical and moral features of the ca-
finishing the basic educational phase tion and Science and an additional mil- det and to enable the cadet to be able
(IX grade) in general educational in- itary program. In parallel with the gen- to easily adapt to social life and en-
stitutions, 769 students applied to the eral educational program, additional gage in both the civil and military ser-
Lyceum. After undergoing medical military disciplines are also taught at vice of the country.

Meeting with the Georgian President On February 25, the Georgian Pres-
Minister of Defence Visited Cadets
Defence Minister of Georgia
ident Mikheil Saakashvili delivered a Bacho Akhalaia visited cadets on
speech before the cadets of Military June 30 and attended the field ex-
Lyceum and students of National De- ercise. The students of Cadets
fence Academy- “for you and any Military Lyceum had been under-
Georgian citizen, interested in the fu- going practical field exercise since
ture military career, the history of ca- June 19. Along with the comple-
dets and their teachers will always re- tion of the training, the 2010-2011
main as a worthy example. And you academic year also finished, after
too should become the model for the which summer holidays for the ca-
future generation not in the way to dets began at the Lyceum.
share their tragic fate, but to create an The cadets were undergoing
independent and powerful state”. The the field exercise at the outset.
meeting which was organized within They improved their theoretical
the framework of “Occupation Week” knowledge by the practical field
was attended by the Defence Minister training. During two weeks the
Bacho Akhalaia, descendents of the cadets of Military Lyceum were undergoing tactical, marksmanship, engi-
Head of the first Georgian Govern- neering and medical preparation along with physical training. They also mas-
ment Noe Jhordania and hero cadets tered in communication, military topography and army regulations. Cadets
along with Military Lyceum and De- Military Lyceum started its functioning at the beginning of the academic year
fence Academy students. 2010 on September 13.

Cadets visit Rustaveli Cinema Hall On December 10, students of the
Cadets Military Lyceum visited Cadets Visit Defence Academy
On December 9, attendees of Cadets to the Defence Ministry. Along with get- Davit Aghmashenebeli National
Military Lyceum visited Rustaveli Cine- ting additional information, such initia- Defence Academy. Cadets were
ma Hall. The students saw the Georgian tive gives possibility of certain relax- hosted by the freshmen of the De-
feature film “Love Story”. Such kind of ation. Every week the students attend fence Academy. They viewed the
cognitive-entertaining events are orga- film shows and performances, visit mu- existing infrastructure of the Nation-
nized every week. This initiative belongs seums and other places of interest. al Defence Academy – educational
and living facilities, conference hall,
entertainment center, swimming
pool, indoor and outdoor sports
grounds and library. Cadets fired
from the simulation systems and had
supper together with the students of
the Defence Academy. They also re-
ceived detailed information about
the admission requirements and liv-
ing and educational standards of the
Defence Academy.


National Defence Academy of Georgia
The National Defence Academy was “But let’s think more deeply about
recently opened by the Supreme Com- the challenges and threats currently fac-
mander-in-Chief of the Georgian Armed ing Georgia. The main question is if our
Forces, Mikheil Saakashvili. The Presi- country really needs armed forces with
dent of Georgia called the new military significant combat experience or assis-
educational institution a symbol of the tance from our powerful partners; cer-
country’s revival. tainly we need these things, otherwise
“The invader, which intervened in the country will not be able to survive.
Georgia three-years ago, annihilated this And this kind of experience will only
military base. We however, have re- be obtained through participating in the
stored the base and have built an even peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan. If
better military academy- one similar to we want to function as a state we must
which Georgia has never had through- have armed forces, and if we wish to
out its history,” said Saakashvili. have an army we should be in Afghani-
“Our country is in a very difficult stan,” he said.
geopolitical situation,” added the Presi- “If we want to have the country, we
dent. “There are not enough fingers to should have the army; if we want to
count all the invaders who thought have the army, we should be in Afghan-
throughout Georgia’s history that they istan.”
had invaded this land and extinguished “And that’s not because of scoring
the existence of Georgia. Furthermore, political points; I know that it is not pop-
many of the empires which invaded ular, but I also know that our ability to
Georgia [have since] disappeared. But put our country’s long-term interests
Georgia turned out to be eternal,” the above our popularity is what makes us
president continued. “As long as Geor- different from political demagogues.”
gia is alive, we will have the necessity “In a decisive moment, soldiers and
to protect our country and therefore the officers, who have gone through this
necessity to have armed forces”, Presi- experience, will serve Georgia, will pro-
dent Saakashvili said. tect Georgia and will save Georgia.”
Saakashvili noted that several kilo- “By the way, these questions are not
meters from Gori the occupying Russian at all asked among soldiers and their
Army set up a military foothold in Geor- families and I appreciate it very much,”
gia. “But let’s take a broader look… This Saakashvili added.
place is the heart of Georgia,” he said. Georgian soldiers are doing in Afghani- ghanistan because it makes the Georgian guished by something which is unex- He also underscored that the newly-
Mikheil Saakashvili also spoke about stan and I often hear that the Georgian armed forces stronger and because this plainable, giving them preference over opened defence academy is one of the
the importance of Georgia’s participa- government wants to score political provides invaluable combat experi- the armed forces of other countries. But best equipped, comfortable military ed-
tion in the ISAF mission. He pointed out points or that Saakashvili wants to keep ence,” Saakashvili said. “I have heard in order to maintain a high combat readi- ucational institutions in the world. “In
that Georgia’s military contribution to his chair and that’s why he sacrifices the from General Petraeus that the Georgian ness it needs permanent testing in a com- terms of higher-education, we created
the Afghan operation provides the Geor- lives of our soldiers. Neither my chair peacekeeping contingent was the best he bat environment and constant training.” the highest standards for our military
gian army “invaluable combat experi- nor my life is worth anything to me when had ever interacted with in Iraq and Af- He said that the first reaction on the here and that is one of the best parts of
ence” and to the country it provides the it comes to Georgia and its supreme in- ghanistan aside from the Americans. question of whether Georgian troops Georgian society. This academy will
“solidarity and support” of its allies. terests,” Saakashvili said. General Petraeus has told me that the should be in Afghanistan or not will of raise future well-known Georgian Gen-
“Many people question what the “The Georgian soldiers are in Af- Georgian peacekeepers were distin- course be “no, they should not.” erals,” stated the President.

with international standards by provid- an exchange program.
ing accommodation, adequate messing, Education at the academy is fully fi-
uniforms and medical service. The acad- nanced by the Ministry of Defence of
emy graduate is awarded with a bache- Georgia.
lor’s degree and the military rank of The institution was founded on May
Lieutenant. The institution will prepare 28, 1993. Under the decree of the Geor-
officers in the following specializations: gian government dated December 8,
infantry, engineering, logistics, tank, 2010 and on the base of National De-
mechanized artillery, aviation, air-defence Academy, LEPL “Davit Agmash-
fence and communications. enebeli National Defence Academy of
The academy’s bachelor’s programs Georgia” was established as the only
are provided by two schools: The Tech- high level military educational institu-
nical Sciences school, which offers spe- tion in Georgia.
cialties in the building of airdromes and The academy has received 150 stu-
highways and information technologies, dents so far this year. They were enrolled
and the Business and Management after passing national examinations as
school, which offers a program to attend- well as physical and psychological tests.
ees who are majoring in the specialties Professors and academic staff have al-
of general management, logistics and ready been selected. Lectures will also
expediting. In addition, the academy be delivered by invited foreign tutors.
will have a master’s department. The The educational process to obtain a
National Defence Academy also plans bachelor’s degree will take four years
to send its best students to high-level and to earn a master’s degree- an addi-
international educational institutions via tional two years.

The Davit Agmashenebeli National hall, recreation center, gymnasium,
Defence Academy of Georgia was swim-ming pool, open sport grounds
opened on September 16. The building and gyms, educational buildings, library,
complex of the renewed National De- medical center and an administrative
fence Academy includes accommoda- building. The academy provides stu-
tion buildings, a canteen, conference dents with material and a technical base

11

RECTOR OF THE NATIONAL DEFENCE
ACADEMY, ANDRO BARNOVI:
We have already selected students after the entrance examinations held at the
Academy. They will get down to studying starting tomorrow. I can say for cer-
tain that this is the only institution where the students will have all the opportu-
nities to receive both military and civil education. I will not exaggerate if I say
that the academy is one of the best educational establishments on an internation-
al level and everyone related to the academy-students, parents and military ser-
vants, will be content with the offered educational environment.

DEFENCE MINISTER OF GEORGIA
BACHO AKHALAIA:
“As you remember, three years ago, the Russians practically destroyed the
whole military facility. Only several buildings survived. Today we have opened
the rehabilitated National Defence Academy- which is another important step for-
ward. Our soldiers are getting valuable practical experience in Afghanistan, which
also needs to be consolidated theoretically. I assure you that academy will be the
place where the best officers will be brought up to be capable and to perform their
duties in a worthy way.”

SENIOR SGT.
TORNIKE TVARADZE:
The attendees of the academy
were selected on the basis of the
sharp competition. I hope that they
will become valuable citizens and
officers of their country given their
physical and mental characteristics,
as well as the conditions offered by
the institute. They will be educated
and trained in the environment of
strict discipline and advanced tech-
nologies. We will not spare efforts
to achieve this goal.

ZVIAD KOPALEISHVILI (stu-
LASHA NOZADZE (student) - It GIORGI MESKHORADZE (stu-
dent) - My wish is to be a military ser-
turned out to be quite difficult to enter dent) -The National Defence Academy
vant-worthy officer and citizen of my
the academy. My motivation to study offers every opportunity to the attend-
country. In addition, I would like to
at the academy is to make an officer’s ees to become a well-educated and dig-
get a good education. The National
career and to get ready for future mil- nified citizen. I hope that we will seize
Defence Academy is the very institu-
itary service. I hope that everything this opportunity and will be well-pre-
tion where I will be able to achieve
will be as I expect and I will be prepared for the future service of the coun-
my goal.
pared to serve my country. try.


Open Day - Viking 2011
In the frame of NATO Partnership for ing in Georgia, Austria, Germany, Ire-
Peace Program (NATO/PfP) Georgia land and Ukraine.
hosted the exercise VIKING 2011 in From the Georgian side, the training
April. was under the command of Colonel
The aim of the exercise was to deep- Zurab Tomauri, Chief of the Operation-
en cooperation, interoperability and al Preparedness Division of J-3 Opera-
credibility between NATO/PfP coun- tional Planning Department, JS. The
tries’ military, civilian, international and main advisor from the Swedish part was
non-governmental organizations. Major Durbion Johansson.
VIKING 2011 was conducted virtu- The First Deputy Minister of De-
ally through a computer assisted simu- fence Nodar Kharshiladze, Deputy
lation network. The main purpose of the Chief of the Joint Staff of Georgian
training was to improve cooperation Armed Forces Lieutenant-Colonel
during peace support and crisis response Lasha Beridze, various foreign ambas-
operations. sadors and military attaches attended the
The organizers of the exercise creat- official closing ceremony of the exer-
ed special software for the gaming. Ac- cises. “Along with the Georgian Armed
cording to the scenario, through peace Forces personnel, representatives of
support operations, coalition forces were NATO countries and the Swedish Min-
trying to achieve peace in an invented istry of Defence took part in the multi-
country, “Bogaland”. The situation was national exercise VIKING 2011. Dur-
very close to reality. Events and inci- ing training an accent was made on the
dents were modeled on current conflict improvement of such aspects as civil-
environments (Africa and Central Asia). military cooperation in crisis situations
In VIKING 2011, the participants, and interoperability with international Georgian soldiers are learning not only Lithuanian ambassador, Mr. Jonas Pa- staff exercise involved officials from the
both military and civilians, represent 24 forces”, declared Nodar Kharshiladze. military affairs but also mechanisms of slauskas. Interior and Foreign Ministries as well
nations. The main organizer of the train- Representatives of the diplomatic cooperation with civilian organizations. Officers of the Swedish and United as from various international and non-
ing was the Swedish Kingdom. The corps attended the final part of the exer- For me as a civilian, it was very impor- States armed forces attended the exer- governmental organizations. Around
main headquarters were located in Swe- cise. They assessed the training process tant to use humanitarian and civilian cises in the capacity of advisors. The list 130 military servicemen and civilians
den, with brigade-level HQs function- positively. “It is very important that aspects in the exercise”, stated the of guests invited to the command and were also involved in the training.

Military Exercise “Vaziani 2011”

The task-oriented field exercise “Va- Mikheil Saakashvili, Defence Minister
ziani 2011” was held on Vaziani firing Bacho Akhalaia and Chief of JS of GAF,
range. The military exercise involved var- Gen.-Maj. Devi Chankotadze.
ious units of the Georgian Armed Forces. President of Georgia Mikheil
The goal of the field exercise was to Saakashvili attended the military exer-
improve the interoperability of the com- cise with his younger son Nikoloz. He
bined forces in defensive combat and to congratulated Georgian military service-
streamline command and control in the men on the Georgian Armed Forces
subordinate units. Anniversary: “I would like to congratu-
The military training included four late you on the successful completion
phases. The first two phases included of this military exercise. Today we have
preparation period and field tactical ex- witnessed once more that in spite of the
ercises. The third phase of the excises – effort of our opponent forces to demol-
battalion-level field-tactical training – ish our Armed Forces, demoralize our
was held on April 30. combat personnel – our officers, our
A special program was developed for soldiers, our corporals, our sergeants –
the military exercise. According to the we have managed to maintain their com-
program scenario, the major aim of the bat spirit and strength, but also managed
exercise was to prevent the enemy from to continue and hasten the moderniza-
gaining a bridgehead for the main forces tion process recently. We don’t have any
and from developing its offensive further. illusions about who is our enemy. Of
“Vaziani 2011” was a large-scale ex- course, the rival is hypothetical in each
ercise participated in by the aviation, exercise. But all of us know very well
infantry, artillery, engineering and tank who intervened in Georgia, who is oc-
units of the Georgian Armed Forces. In cupying certain Georgian territories,
total, the field exercise involved 678 who has further aggressive plans to-
military servants and 79 various pieces wards Georgia. You all know quite well
of military equipment. that you are the main defenders of Geor-
The exercise was commanded by the gia. Of course, when a country is in trou-
Deputy Chief of JS of GAF, LTC Gior- ble and under attack, each citizen be-
gi Kalandadze, responsible to report to comes a soldier; each citizen becomes a
the Supreme-Commander of GAF, protector of his motherland. But you are

13
the major front and decisive line of our Armed Forces. Within its context the
defence, the most important guarantor exercise is close to real combat opera-
of the country’s future. tions. So this training really takes after
This is why we continue the full sup- combat activities”.
port of our Armed Forces, and modern- One of the most important compo-
ization at maximum rates, and we will nents of the training was the assessment
continue until the Georgian Armed Forc- team. Military servicemen from the
es are very well trained, equipped with Training and Military Education Com-
high standards and ready to carry out all mand monitored the exercise on the bat-
tasks and overcome all challenges that talion, company, platoon and squad lev-
we face. el.
“I would like to express gratitude The head of the exercise Deputy
once more and continue working in this Chief of JS of GAF, LTC Giorgi Kalan-
way. I know that the Georgian Armed dadze explained the details of the train-
Forces have undergone a range of seri- ing: “In the exercise we introduce inno-
ous reforms recently. I keep an eye on vation by which the units participated
this process and work on its improve- in the training were shown on an elec-
ment enduringly. Of course, each month, tronic map by CTP. This means that we
each week, each day should be innova- can see interactions between our units
tive for the development of the Geor- and the enemy online by UAV. By this
gian Armed Forces for the welfare of our system we also have the possibility of
people”. controlling Georgian airspace and air-
Georgian Defence Minister Bacho craft activities wholly in the operation-
Akhalaia also congratulated the Geor- al region. The exercise was held success-
gian soldiers on their professional day fully. I can sum up that our units are
and commented on the importance of the ready for a fast reaction.”
military exercise: “Today’s event is very In connection with the anniversary
important for each of us. Today we have of the Georgian Armed Forces Day, 200
held one of the ordinary exercises coin- military servicemen were given service
cided with the Anniversary of Georgian awards.

Sachkhere Mountain Training School
The First Deputy Minister of De- countries’ armed forces. In September, the Mountain Training School, as well as
fence, Nodar Kharshiladze, visited Sa- instructors of Mountain Training School Georgian personnel.
chkhere Mountain Training School on will conduct the mountain training basic The mountain exercises are conduct-
July12. Along with the Ambassador of summer course for the military service- ed in six various specified training ar-
France to Georgia, Erik Furnie, the Dep- men of NATO countries. The central part eas. Each area’s terrains are prepared by
uty Minister opened the PfP (Partnership of the course consists of the practical ex- the French and Georgian mountain in-
for Peace) status board. Sachkhere ercises. Its aim is to provide soldiers with structors where safety measures are par-
Mountain Training School received PfP basic mountaineering skills and enable amount. The training will be mainly con-
status several months ago. Thus, new them to master operating in a mountain ducted by Georgian military servicemen.
standard training courses will be environment. The exercise will be con- The school instructors were prepared
launched there in summer and autumn. ducted in English and the students will be under a three-year program run by the
While visiting Sachkere Military provided with the appropriate mountain- French mountain instructors group.
base the guests were briefed on the de- eering equipment during training. They underwent summer, as well as win-
velopment process and scheduled train- Under the schedule of training, mili- ter training courses. Since 2009, the
ings at the school. tary servicemen from Poland, Czech mountain instructors have been improv-
Under PfP status, the school will train Republic, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia ing their skills at the High Mountain
the military units of NATO and its partner will undergo training in Sachkhere Training School in France (EMHM).

Open Day – “Agile Spirit 2011”
On July 22, the opening day of the operations. fence cooperation between the United
military exercise “Agile Spirit 2011” The Defence Minister of Georgia States and Georgia. Today, for this pe-
was held at the Vaziani Training Area. Bacho Akhalaia, the U.S. Ambassador riod of the exercise- for these two
The combined military exercise to Georgia John R. Bass, and other rep- weeks- we have US marines training
code named “Agile Spirit 2011”, with resentatives of the Diplomatic Corps alongside Georgian soldiers and also
the participation of U.S. Marines and attended the military exercise. helping train Georgian soldiers for the
the 4th Infantry Brigade of the Geor- Ambassador Bass briefed those at- types of mission that frankly both sets
gian Armed Forces, began on July 18. tending on the importance of strength- of soldiers are going to be experienc-
The focus of the exercise was to in- ening the bilateral cooperation between ing in Afghanistan. It is fully consis-
crease interoperability between the the two countries: “I am pleased to be tent with our commitment to support
Georgian and US forces and exchange here to participate in this distinguished the deployment, training and success of
and enhance each other’s capability in visitors’ portion of the exercise. This Georgia in the coalition in Afghanistan
counterinsurgency and peacekeeping is an important part of our ongoing de- and to address the common challenges
that we are facing there to help stabi-
lize Afghanistan and to defeat the Tali-
ban and to bring the stability in that
region and in the world.”
The scenario of the military-field
exercise “Agile Spirit” provided to the
soldiers was as close as possible to the
real situation troops will face – the in-
cidents are simulated according to the
ongoing conflict (Afghanistan). The Army will have high quality combat ue to build on an already strong part-
exercise was conducted by Georgian units, and that is the product of such nership between our two countries,”
soldiers and US Marines together. exercises and trainings”. said LtCol. Nelson S. Cardella, com-
They were carrying out “convoy, cor- The large-scale exercise involved manding officer, Black Sea Rotational
don and search operation.” They were 350 Marines from the Marine Corps’ Force 11. “We are grateful to the Geor-
also trained to clear buildings of ter- Black Sea Rotational Force 11 based gian Armed Forces and to the people
rorists, seizing and disarming insur- in Constanta, Romania, an Anti-Terror- of Georgia for hosting this important
gents. ism Battalion based out of Bessemer, training and contributing so much to
The Defence Minister Bacho Ala. and 450 military servicemen from regional and international security.”
Akhalaia spoke on the importance of the Georgian 4th Infantry Brigade. “We are very glad that Georgia hosts
the joint exercise, “The participation of Head of Operational Preparation Di- this military exercise this year as the
the Georgian military servicemen in vision, J-3 Operational Planning De- military of both countries are working
such exercises is very important. The partment of the Joint Staff of the GAF’ together. Such kind of joint exercises
main goal of the exercise is to raise Colonel Zurab Tomauri’ was com- are necessary for them. I hope that each
combat capability of those battalions manding the exercise on the Georgian participant of the exercise will success-
which are taking part in this joint exer- side and on the US side - LtCol. Nel- fully carry out their tasks,” declared the
cise. In this case, American as well as son S. Cardella, commanding officer, Deputy Chief of Joint Staff of GAF, Col
Georgian soldiers are undergoing train- Black Sea Rotational Force 11. Gigi Kalandadze. The combined exer-
ing together under the equal circum- “Our Marines are eager to train with cise “Agile Spirit 2011” was officially
stances. Consequently, the Georgian the Georgian Armed Forces to contin- closed on August 1.


2011 Season of Basketball Club “Armia”

the cup finalist team of the Ministry of
Internal Affairs “MIA”, ended by the
score 79:63 and became owner of the
“Otar Korkia Super Cup”. The best man-
ager of the 2010-2011 basketball season
became the couch of the “Armia” Levan
Moseshvili and was awarded by the
“Giorgi Avalishvili’s Prize”. The best
player of the season became the captain
of the team Kote Tugushi. The member
of “Armia” Giorgi Sharabidze was named
as “The Best Young Basketball Player”
and was awarded by the “Zviad Mi-
kadze’s Prize”.
After this victory the basketball club
“Armia” became the owner of the third
title.
The 2011 season became very success- sive match, Giorgi Sharabidze (securing The ongoing season turned up to be ketball clubs: “Besiktas”, “Leiden” and game with 17 point difference after which
ful for “Armia”. The basketball club 16 points to the team) and Davit Sak- very important for “Armia” as the bas- “Göttingen”. On the sixth tour of Euro- it stopped competition within the Euro-
gained all titles of Georgian tournaments. varelidze (securing 14 points to the team) ketball team took part in Euro Challenge Challenge Tournament “Armia” played Challenge Championship. It is also worth
showed the best play among the “Armia” competition as well. Within the FIBA against “Leiden” in Van Sport Hall. The to mention that during the ongoing year
“ARMIA”- GEORGIAN players. In the tournament, in which the Europe League “Armia” held in and out game turned up to be very interesting and “Armia” added some new foreign play-
CUP WINNER Final matches continued until one of the matches against the three European bas- tense. The Champion of Georgia lost the ers.
On the 1st of February “Armia” teams gained three victories, “Armia”
became the winner of the ninth Georgian won 3-1. At the awarding ceremony the
Basketball Cup. In the final match, which “Armia” players were provided with
was organized in Tbilisi Sports Palace, medals and the Super League Cup.
with difference of 20 points “Armia” de- Within the Georgian Basketball Su-
feated the team of Ministry of Internal per League “All Stars” show-game was
Affairs by the score 71:51 and became organized in Kutaisi Sports palace on
the owner of the first title. The Final was April 29. The four “Armia” players of
quite tense and spectacular. “Armia” played against the “Nugzar Cheishvili’s
player Giorgi Sharabidze became the best Team”. After the interesting and tense
shooter and Anatoly Berishvili became game the match ended in draw with the
the best player of the competition. score 115:115. In the show-game
“Armia” player Kote Tugushi showed the
“ARMIA” – SUPER LEAGUE CUP best play in the “three scores tournament”
CHAMPION and maintained the Victory title.
After the title of Georgian Cup Cham-
pion the Basketball team “Armia” gained “ARMIA”- SUPER
a title of Super League Cup. The Final CUP WINNER
match was held on May 24, where “Armia” gained the Super Cup named
“Armia” beat “TSU” by the score of after Otar Korkia” on May 29. The tour-
65:61. During the interesting and deci- nament, where “Armia” competed with

15

Rugby Team “Armia” Successful Debut

superiority of “Armia” players. They
grounded two balls against the rival
team. The Final match ended with the
victory of “Armia” by the score 26:16.

“ARMIA” – WINNER OF
SEVEN-MAN RUGBY
Defence Ministry Rugby club
“Armia” became a Champion of Geor-
gia in Seven-man rugby on December
4. The third round of the championship
The ongoing year turned up to be in seven-man rugby was going on at the
quite successful for Defence Ministry “Shevardeni Training base” during two
rugby team “Armia”. Thus, the team days. The first day of the Georgian
is newly created “Armia” finished its Championship went on in favor of
debut season with big achievements “Armia”. Defence Ministry Rugby team
and showed the best results within the beat “TBC” by the score 53:0, “Deve-
ongoing championships. “Armia” bi” 64:0, “Batumi” 47:0. After the third
players gained all Champion titles. round “Armia” became a semi-finalist.
In the semi-final, Defence Ministry Rug-
“ARMIA” - THE SUPER by team gained victory over “Lokomo-
LEAGUE WINNER tivi” by the score 19:5. In the final match
Within the Super League tournament of the ongoing tour “Armia” played ver-
Defence Ministry rugby team “Armia’ sus “Batumi”. A very interesting match
became a Champion of Georgia. On was won by “Armia” players by the
November 5, in the Final match “Armia” score 43:0. The best player of the Cham-
played against “Aia” Kutaisi. The match pionship was named “Armia” player
was quite interesting and tense. In the Giorgi Shkinini. But a member of
first period Kutaisi rugby team had no- “Armia” team Aleksandre Tuchashvili
ticeable advantage but in the second grounded the most balls.
period “Armia” mobilized itself and fin- Rugby team “Armia” made its debut
ished the game in its favor by the score on the 27the of March and achieved a
29:22. From the “Armia” team two tries convincing victory in the first phase of
were grounded by Giorgi Tkhilaishvili the Georgian Rugby Championship. The
and Giga Gagoshvili. tournament with participation of 16
teams was held in Tbilisi at the rugby
“ARMIA” – THE GEORGIAN stadium “Shevardeni” on the 26-27th of
CUP HOLDER March. “Armia” players beat the rugby
After gaining the title of Super team of Kutaisi “Aia” with the score
League Champion, Georgian Defence 19:14 and gained the title of the “Spring
Rugby team “Armia” made a double and Champion”.
became the Georgian Cup winner on The rugby team “Armia” was estab-
November 26. The last match of the lished under the support of Defence
ongoing season between “Armia” and Ministry of Georgia. The head coach of
“Kochebi” was held on “Avchala” sta- the team is a veteran rugby player Ni-
dium. The entire game went on with the koloz Chavchavadze.


Reserve Service

Ministry of Defence of Georgia expresses readiness to train people willing to undergo voluntary reserve service on a stage
by stage basis. According to the Georgian law in force “On Military Reserve Service”, only those citizens are allowed to
enlist in voluntary reserve who does not have to undergo compulsory reserve service.
Interested candidates should contact 2 75 26 44; 577 393 700; 577 393 701; 577 393 702 or send information to the e-mail
address: rezervi@mod.gov.ge. The information must include name and surname of the interested candidate, date of birth,
place of residence and telephone number.
The representatives of the Ministry of Defence are carrying out registration, after which comes gathering of voluntaries and
providing them with detailed information. The last stage will be trainings.

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