STRATEGIC BOMBERS WILL FLY BEYOND THREE SEAS
by Mikhail Falaleev

WPS Agency
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
August 8, 2008 Friday
Russia

The Air Force Commander proposes uniting of all means for defense
from an airspace attack

THE AIR FORCE COMMANDER PROPOSES CREATION OF UNITED REGIONAL AIR
FORCE SYSTEMS IN CAUCASIAN AND CENTRAL ASIAN REGIONS; Air Force
Commander General Zelin says that it is necessary to unite all means
for defense from an airspace attack under unified command. Moreover,
he proposes the establishment of united regional air defense systems
in the Caucasian and Central Asian regions.

Very soon all air defense units of Moscow will be transferred to
the category of units of permanent readiness. This means that they
will be manned according to full authorized strength of wartime and
armed additionally.

Already the entire air defense of Moscow is organized into the
special-purpose command that guards the sky of not only Moscow but
also the Central industrial region. The first regiment armed with
the newest air defense missile systems S-400 was put on combat duty
in August of 2007.

The Air Force Commander said:

– So far, this is only the first step. In the near future a few other
air defense missile regiments will be armed with such systems. Further
modernization of S-300P systems being in service is also underway in
the air defense missile units.

General Zelin says that it is necessary to unite all means for defense
from an airspace attack under unified command. Moreover, he proposes
the establishment of united regional air defense systems in Caucasian
and Central Asian regions.

Zelin added:

– The practice of military cooperation in the field of air defense
demonstrated expediency of further development of the united air
defense system of the CIS member states on the regional basis. Active
work is already underway with regard to establishment of the united
regional air defense system of Belarus and Russia in the East European
region of collective security.

The united air defense system includes troops of Armenia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.

Russian aviation went beyond the limits of the Russian sky a long
time ago. The Air Force Commander announced intentions to organize
flights of strategic missile-carrying airplanes to the zone of the
Indian Ocean.

Zelin reported:

– Crews of strategic airplanes can fulfill tasks with aerial
refueling above water areas, for example, above the Indian and Atlantic
oceans. We are currently considering flights to strategic airplanes to
the airspace above the Indian Ocean where they will interact with the
Navy. The task is set to increase the volume of joint combat training
tasks and the quantity of flights of strategic airplanes for patrolling
in the areas of seafaring, fishing and economic activities of Russia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress