Moscow Placed No Restrictions on the Use of the MIG-29s
Defense Minister Elias Murr said Thursday Moscow has not placed any restrictions on the use by Lebanon of 10 MIG-29 jetfighters pledged by Russia.
Murr, in a television audio interview from Russia, said missions assigned to the MIG-29s in the future would be decided by the Lebanese cabinet.
He explained that the Kremlin would donate the MIG-29 squadron from the Russian arsenal and Lebanese pilots would fly them home after training in Russia.
The Russians explained to us that the training period for the MIG-29 is eight months.
"There should be no problem for our brilliant Air Force pilots in training on the MIG-29s," Murr said.
He explained that the political significance of the Russian donation that the Lebanese cabinet would be "glad to accept," is that it has set a rule for dealing with Lebanon by foreign donors.
"Any military donation to Lebanon by a foreign power should not be less than the level of the MIG-29s," Murr said.