VZCZCXRO9799
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSI #1172/01 1381333
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 181333Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6392
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3913

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 001172 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/CARC AND EUR/RPM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/15/2017 
TAGS: MARR PGOV EFIN GG
SUBJECT: FURTHER DETAIL ON MOD PLANS FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING 
IN 2007 
 
REF: TBILISI 1065 
 
Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft, reason 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) The Georgian Ministry of Defense has provided 
additional information about its priorities for spending the 
proposed GEL 442,100,000 (USD 261.6 million) increase in the 
defense budget reported reftel.  The money will be spent by 
the MOD as follows: 
 
-- GEL 21.8 million (USD 13 million) on salary increases and 
social payments for military personnel.  The armed forces 
will have a unified wage scale based only on rank. 
 
-- GEL 21.1 million (USD 12.5 million) on travel associated 
with participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). 
 
-- GEL 84,716,000 (USD 50.1 million) on ammunition for 
additional training of units for participation in OIF. 
 
-- GEL 23,900,300 (USD 14.1 million) on equipment for 
training reserves. 
 
-- GEL 12 million (USD 7.1 million) on IT system development. 
 
-- GEL 700,000 (USD 414,200) for an Information Center on 
NATO and special programs to increase awareness of NATO in 
Georgia and for equipment and upgrades of the Military 
Hospital. 
 
-- GEL 30 million (USD 17.75 million) to construct houses for 
families of military personnel in Tbilisi. 
 
-- GEL 10 million (USD 5.9 million) to construct houses for 
families of military personnel in Gori. 
 
-- GEL 2 million (USD 1.18 million) to construct a camp for 
reserves in Senaki. 
 
-- GEL 2 million (USD 1.18 million) for repair and 
reconstruction of two camps for reserves in Mukhrovani and 
Telavi. 
 
-- GEL 8,880,300 (USD 5.25 million) for reconstruction of the 
Kutaisi garrison. 
 
-- GEL 2,150,000 (USD 1.27 million) for construction of 
Senaki aviation hangars. 
 
-- GEL 15,410,000 (USD 13 million) for new military base 
construction in Gori. 
 
-- GEL 1.6 million (USD 911,800) for construction of the 
Vashlijvari military base. 
 
-- GEL 50,343,400 (USD 29.76 million) for improving air 
defense capabilities. 
 
-- GEL 2.7 million (USD 1.6 million) for night vision 
equipment. 
 
-- GEL 23.8 million (USD 14.08 million) for NATO 
interoperable portable radio transmitters. 
 
-- GEL 64.2 million (USD 38 million) for upgrade of existing 
tanks to NATO standards. 
 
-- GEL 17,150,000 (USD 10.15 million) for upgrade of existing 
aircraft to be compatible with NATO. 
 
-- GEL 7,650,000 (USD 4.53 million) for upgrade of existing 
helicopters to be compatible with NATO. 
 
-- GEL 40 million (USD 23.6 million) for spare parts and 
equipment procurement. 
 
¶2. (C) Comment: The level of detail varies from category to 
category, but the MOD's statement appears to be a good-faith 
effort to share with us the way it intends to spend a budget 
increase, if it is approved.  A large part of the spending is 
explicitly tied to NATO integration tasks and support for 
OIF.  Other spending is focused on salaries, family housing 
and reserve training bases.  Such priorities are not 
obviously linked to an increased offensive capability aimed 
at restoring Georgia's territorial integrity by military 
means.  We are concerned, however, that the fact of the large 
 
TBILISI 00001172  002 OF 002 
 
 
increase in spending may be perceived in that way. 
TEFFT