The army’s transformation process into its new formation structure will last 10 years announced the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Vasko Gjurchinovski.
ARM’s transformation was announced in the Strategic defense overview that was made last year, and Gjurchinovski expects the President and Supreme COmmander Stevo Pendarovski to determine the new structure and formation of the army soon, that will encompass the active and the reserve personnel.
According to the general, the new formation will encompass and adjust the active personnel, the active and the general reserve i.e. the reserve personnel that will be filled and functional immediately including the rest of the reserve forces.
GJurchinovski stressed that the army reforms are in its final phase. It is expected that in June the government will pass the Longterm plan for the defense development that was underway with the cooperation with the Alliance.
Until now, we had partner goals, and now as a member of NATO, we have operational goals, with types of force that will have to be prepared for operations of the Alliance and equipment they will have to have. NATO have commented that we have beautiful plans but now we shall have to make them real – said General Gjurchinovski.
A key goal of the reforms is to prepare a light battalion fighting group, always ready to take part in the Alliance’s operations.
-It is an imperative – said Gjurchinovski, who expects the reform documents to be completed by the end of the year.
