CIS AIR DEFENSE EXERCISE TO START JUNE 20

RIA Novosti
14:13 | 07/ 06/ 2007

MOSCOW, June 7 (RIA Novosti) – At least six former Soviet republics
are set to begin a joint air defense exercise on June 20, a deputy
commander of Russia’s Air Force said Thursday.

The Combat Commonwealth-2007 exercise will involve Russia, Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, and will be held in
four stages.

"The first stage of the exercise will be held at the Telemba training
ground [East Siberia] to engage Russian and Belarusian Air Force
and Air Defense troops as well as Russia’s Baltic Fleet," Alexander
Drobyshevsky said.

The second stage will be held at the Ashuluk training ground in
Russia’s Astrakhan Region near the Caspian Sea, in the second half
of August. It will involve Russian, Armenian, Belarusian and Kyrgyz
forces.

The third and fourth stages will take place at Kazakh and Uzbek
training grounds in August-September.

Conducted annually, such exercises are part of efforts to build an
integrated security system for the Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS), a loose association of former Soviet republics. An integrated
air defense network was set up by 10 CIS-member countries on February
10, 1995, but so far exists only on paper.
From: Baghdasarian