MIGS VERSUS TERRORISTS
by Igor Yelkov

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
Source: Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Moscow issue), October 20, 2006, p. 10
October 23, 2006 Monday

Russian fighters returned the "hijacked" AN-26 to Ukraine

LIEUTENANT GENERAL AITECH BIZHEV, DEPUTY COMMANDER OF RUSSIAN AIR
FORCE, REPORTED ABOUT RESULTS OF EXERCISES OF THE UNITED AIR DEFENSE
SYSTEM OF THE CIS; The training taking and hijacking of a military
cargo airplane AN-26 from the Ukrainian airport of Borispol became
the most breathtaking episode of the military exercises of the united
air defense system of the CIS.

The training taking and hijacking of a military cargo airplane AN-26
from the Ukrainian airport of Borispol became the most breathtaking
episode of the military exercises of the united air defense system
of the CIS.

Ninety-seven airplanes of the military aviation of Russia, Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Ukraine
participated in the staff command exercises. Lieutenant General
Aitech Bizhev, Deputy Commander of the Russian Air Force, called the
"hijacking" of AN-26 from the airport of Borispol the most interesting
episode.

Bizhev said: – Our fighters took off from the airdrome near Kursk
intercepted and guided this airplane to the border of Ukraine and
handed it over to Ukrainian fighters for landing on the departure
airfield.

In the course of the exercises two Russian airplanes of long-range
radar surveillance A-50 provided for surveillance of airspace above
a huge territory.

Lieutenant General Bizhev explained that one A-50 operated in the
area of Mozdok providing for command of the crews of interceptors
being on duty on the air base in Armenia. The second A-50 was in the
area of Minsk and commanded Belarusian fighters.

Neither the interceptors nor the crews of air defense missile systems
performed real combat launches. Pilots and missile crews performed the
entire cycle of homing and killed conventional targets of the probable
enemy, according to the general, "with assistance of electronic shots."

General of the Army Vladimir Mikhailov, Commander of the Russian Air
Force, summed up the result: – The united air defense system of the
CIS grew better than the air defense system of the Soviet Union. We
preserved all command posts that existed on the territory of the Soviet
Union. We control the situation not only on the territory of Russia but
also on a territory even bigger than the territory of the former USSR.

Mikhailov added that very soon the united air defense system of the
union state of Russia and Belarus would be legalized by documents.

According to participants, in comparison to previous exercises skills
of both pilots and air defense command bodies of Uzbekistan grew
significantly. Uzbek airplanes performed seven flights.

Non-participation of Georgia was another peculiarity of the
exercises. In any case, according to Russian experts, even in the
time when Georgia participated in such exercises its air defense
system was inefficient. Nonetheless, we preserved direct channels
of communication with the Georgian Air Force command post. According
to General Bizhev, "Our systems fully view the entire airspace above
Georgia up to Turkey."