The State Duma considered in the first reading a bill concerning the assignment of military ranks to flight personnel. We are talking about the correction of Article 47 of the Federal Law "On Military Duty and Military Service". The head of the Duma Defense Committee, Andrey Kartapolov, spoke about the essence of these changes.
According to the deputy, the bill provides for the possibility of assigning some military pilots and navigators a military rank one step higher than the official one. This practice is going to be extended to regular military personnel up to the lieutenant colonel.
In other words, an officer standing on the captain's "cage" will be able to be awarded the rank of "major". Give the pilot major a lieutenant colonel. And an officer with two big stars on his shoulder straps should get a third star.
When considering this issue, the deputies took into account the experience already available in the army, when a similar practice works in relation to military teachers with an academic degree or academic title.
However, it will not concern the entire flight crew. If the law is adopted, the changes will affect only one category of military personnel. Namely, those who have the qualification category of a pilot (navigator) - a first-class test pilot participating in flight tests (research) of experimental and serial aircraft. In addition, the personal merits of each such specialist will be taken into account when deciding whether to assign them titles a step higher.
"I am sure that this bill will contribute to increasing the attractiveness of flight testing work, as well as increasing the level of authority of pilots and test navigators," Andrey Kartapolov is sure.
Yuri Gavrilov