MOSCOW, July 29 (UPI) -- Shortcomings in Russia's paratrooper forces exposed in last year's war with Georgia are to be rectified with new equipment, Russian military officials say.
Moscow says its airborne troops will gain a new battalion of 10 Nona self-propelled guns and two fire-control vehicles, RIA Novosti reported Wednesday.
Also, tracked armored vehicles, which run on continuous tracks instead of wheels, will be replaced by wheeled ones, Lt. Gen. Vladimir Shamanov said.
Shamanov added that even Russia's newer and modified tracked vehicles proved to be frustratingly vulnerable in the five-day conflict with Tblisi.
A wheeled armored personnel carrier can withstand significant damage to its chassis and keep rolling while a tracked vehicle loses its ability to maneuver if the tracks are damaged even slightly, Shamanov said.
