Interfax, Russia
Aug 22 2008

About 2,500 servicemen participating in CSTO war games in Armenia

YEREVAN Aug 22

The Frontier 2008 exercise of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization began in Armenia on Friday.

The military attaches of the United States, Britain, China, Iran,
Greece and Bulgaria are observing the exercise, Armenian Defense
Ministry spokesman Col. Seiran Shakhsuvarian told Interfax.

The Georgian military attache is not attending.

The drill involves 1,392 Armenian servicemen and 1,106 servicemen from
Russia. Armor, air defense systems and aviation, including MiG-29 and
Su-25 fighter jets and Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters, will be used in the
maneuvers.

The delegations of the CSTO member-states will observe the active
phase of the command-post exercise, which unfolded at the Bagramian
training ground 40 kilometers west of Yerevan.

The troops will practice operations to provide military and
military-technical aid to Armenia in the event of aggression.

The plan of the exercise is conditional, but takes the current
military-political and military-strategic situation in the region into
account.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization comprises Russia, Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.