U.S. provides $3 million of field equipment to Armenian peacekeeping battalion

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.