The improvement and development of the united air defense system of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries will be discussed in Astrakhan (southern Russia) on Tuesday by members of the Coordinating Committee on Air Defense under the CIS Council of Defense Ministers, TASS reports, quoting the Russian Defense Ministry.
The Committee’s regular meeting will be attended by delegations from the Defense Ministries of the Russian Federation, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
“The meeting participants will discuss the organization of joint operational and combat training activities of the CIS united air defense system in 2016, the focal areas of the study of problems of air defence and training of military personnel for the united air defence system,” a Russian Defense Ministry official said.
After the meeting, members of the Coordinating Committee will continue their work at the Ashuluk range in the Astrakhan region, where the active phase of the Combat Commonwealth-2015 joint exercise of the CIS united air defence system is underway from September 7 to 10.
“The members of the delegations will get familiarised with the peculiarities of the joint tactical employment of the coalition aviation and air defence forces of the CIS member states in the regions of collective security during anti-terrorist actions and in armed conflicts,” the Defence Ministry said.
During the active phase of the Ashuluk drills the troops will have various tactical episodes, including repelling massive missile and air strikes using the fighter, attack, bomber and long-range aircraft, and will also conduct live firing exercise using the S-400 Triumph, S-300 Favorit, S-125 Pechora-2M, and Buk anti-aircraft missile systems.
The united air defense system of CIS countries was created on the basis of an agreement between 10 Commonwealth countries, signed on February 10, 1995 in Alma-Ata, for an indefinite period.
At present, the united air defense system of the CIS member countries brings together eight states: Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
