Georgia is marking the 30th anniversary of the country’s air force. Speaking to journalists at the Alekseevka air base in Tbilisi, the Minister of Defence Junasher Burchuladze said a number of aviation professionals had returned to homeland to rejoin its armed forces over the years, which he credited to the “better-than-ever” conditions offered by authorities for servicemembers.

The history of Georgian military aviation starts from the period of the first democratic republic of Georgia, when the first military aviation unit was formed by the decision of then state legislature on August 20, 1918.

The unit later fought against Soviet troops during the 1921 Red Army invasion of the country.

After the restoration of Georgia’s independence in 1992, an air force and air defence division was established in the armed forces before undergoing several structural changes over the years.

With the qualification and combat training level of the pilots and technical staff “significantly updated” over the years due to the partnership of the air branch with NATO and foreign partners.