February 28, 2002

Mongolia formed its first "elite" infantry battalion, the 150th, in 1997. This is trained as a self-contained unit for independent missions including peacekeeping. Mongolia now plans to convert its only airborne unit, the 84th Battalion, into a similar self-contained unit. Within a year or two, Mongolia plans to deploy company-sized units from these battalions to UN peacekeeping missions.--Stephen V Cole