Russian aircraft takes part in CIS command post exercise

Interfax-AVN military news agency web site, Moscow
7 Apr 04

Zarya, Moscow Region, 7 April: Aircraft deployed at the Russian Kant
air base (Kyrgyzstan) will for the first time take part in the command
post exercise (CPX) of the CIS unified air defence system, which
starts on Wednesday 7 April .

“Aircraft, deployed at the Russian Kant air base in Kyrgyzstan, will
for the first time take part in the command post exercise of the CIS
unified air defence system, which means that the air base has been
completely integrated into this joint combat system, established by
our states,” Russian Air Force Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Mikhaylov
told Interfax-Military News Agency. He supervises the exercise from
the Russian Air Force central command post.

“Another important feature of today’s exercise consists in combat
employment of A-50 AWACS aircraft in order to increase the radar
coverage in various directions of the ongoing exercise,” he
said. According to him, the exercise will also see participation of
long-range aircraft, which will carry out air refuelling in the course
one of the missions.

“Russian Su-24 Fencer and MiG-31 Foxhound are expected to conduct
joint manoeuvres with Belarus and Kazakh attack aircraft and fighters,
as well as to land on airfields of participants in the exercise,”
Mikhaylov noted.

The CPX sees participation of air and air defence forces of the
following eight CIS member-states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Russia. According to
Mikhaylov, over 100 air and air defence forces units of CIS
member-states, as well as over 80 aircraft will participate in the
exercise.

The exercise is aimed at refining over 10 various issues, pertaining
to improving CIS airspace security.