DEFENSE MINISTER IVANOV TELLS PRESIDENT ABOUT CIS AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM
17:26 | 31/ 08/ 2005
SOCHI, August 31 (RIA Novosti) – Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov
briefed President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday about the prototype of a
regional air defense system for the Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS).
Ivanov said a single command center had been used first time ever
during an exercise that had been held at the start of the week in
Russia’s southern Astrakhan region and had involved units from Russia,
Belarus, Armenia and Tajikistan.
“For the first time ever, we established a single command center, not
one for each country, but a joint one,” the minister said. “This is
the prototype for the regional air defense system within the framework
of the CIS.”
Ivanov also said that the system could be deployed anywhere in the CIS.
This was not the first exercise to be held as a part of the combined
air defense system, the minister said. Similar exercises were held
in Siberia and Belarus and another exercise should be held this year
with Kazakhstan.
“Nevertheless, the main event for the CIS combined air defense system
took place at Ashuluk firing range in the Astrakhan region,” the
minister said. He added that combat launches had been made. “There was
no imitation whatsoever, and the targets were very difficult [to hit].”
