EX-SOVIET STATES PLAN JOINT AIR DEFENSE DRILLS AUG. 7- SEPT. 18

ArmInfo
13:05 | 04/ 03/ 2009

ASTANA, March 4 (RIA Novosti) – Members of the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS) will conduct joint air defense exercises from
August 7 until September 18, the first deputy commander of Russia’s
Air Force said on Wednesday.

"The biennial Combat Commonwealth exercises will be held from August
7 until September 18," Vadim Volkovidsky told a news conference
following a meeting of the coordinating committee for air defense
under the CIS council of defense ministers.

He specified that the exercises would be held in several stages and
on the territory of each member state.

The CIS, a loose alliance of former Soviet states, comprises Russia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Moldova,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Ukraine is a founding and participating
country, but technically not a member state. Turkmenistan holds
associate status.

An integrated air defense network was set up by 10 CIS member countries
on February 10, 1995.

The main purpose of the network is to ensure the protection of
the member-countries’ airspace, early warning of missile attacks
and coordination of joint efforts to neutralize potential air
threats. (Russian mobile surface-to-air missile systems – Image
Gallery)