Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
February 11, 2005, Friday
THE COVERED SKY
SOURCE: Vremya Novostei, February 9, 2005, p. 4
by Nikolai Poroskov
Heads of 10 countries of the Commonwealth: Armenia, Belarus, Georgia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,
and Ukraine met on February 10, 1995, and signed Accord on the CIS
United Antiaircraft Defense System. The Accord does not have a
definite expiry date; it is open for new subscribers who accept
provisions of the CIS Air Space Defense Concept and Plan of
Co-operation of the United Antiaircraft Defense System. Georgia and
Turkmenistan have stayed away from programs within the framework of
the CIS United Antiaircraft Defense System since 1997.
These days, the CIS United Antiaircraft Defense System comprises 19
fighter regiments (11 of them Russian), 29 antiaircraft missile
regiments (11 Russian), 22 technical formations (9 Russian), 2 units
of radar and jammers (both Russian), 4 antiaircraft defense brigades
(all of them Kazakh). Antiaircraft missile regiments have Osa, Buk,
S-75, S-125, S-200, and S-300 complexes of different models. Fighter
aviation is represented by MIG-23s, MIG-29s, MIG-31s, and SU-27s.
Here is an interview with Lieutenant General Aitech Bizhev, Russian
Armed Forces Second-in-Command in charge of the CIS United
Antiaircraft Defense System.
Question: Many things changed in these last ten years. The CIS
Headquarters for Coordination of Military Co-operation is being
ousted by the analog from the Organization of the CIS Collective
Security Treaty. Does it have any effect on the CIS United
Antiaircraft Defense System?
Aitech Bizhev: The United System is working nowadays, performing the
functions for which it was established in the first place: protection
of air borders of the Commonwealth, joint control over the use of air
space, exchange of information on air situations, missile and air
raid warnings and dealing with them. We succeeded in restoration of
the system of mutual exchange of information ruined by the collapse
of the Soviet Union. We also set up the structure of forces on duty
and organized combat training. Exchange of information on situations
in the air is constant. In fact, it is automatic at least among
central command posts of the Air Forces and Antiaircraft Forces of
Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
Question: But weapons and military hardware of the United System have
to be constantly repaired and upgraded every now and then. In the
meantime, Russia alone has the industrial facilities to build
antiaircraft complexes…
Aitech Bizhev: Spare parts needed to maintain antiaircraft military
hardware of CIS countries are provided in accordance with Decree 1953
of the president of the Russian Federation (December 1, 2000).
Whatever needs repairs is repaired in Russia. Every now and then,
teams of specialists themselves travel to the units with military
hardware in need of repair. Unfortunately, some standard acts of the
Russian Federation interfere with development of military-technical
co-operation, paradoxical as it is. However, changes in the acting
legislation initiated in the last 2-3 years only diminish
effectiveness of military-technical co-operation and attractiveness
of services enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex.
Coordinating Committee for Antiaircraft Forces drew some proposals it
forwarded to the Federal Service of Military-Technical Co-operation.
Their acceptance will ameliorate the situation.
Question: NATO organized air defense of the Baltic States as soon as
it expanded. How is combat duty within the framework of the United
System organized?
Aitech Bizhev: Antiaircraft defense forces of Russia and Belarus were
the first to organize joint combat duty. Following that, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, and Russia signed a trilateral Instruction on joint
actions of antiaircraft defense forces on duty. The forces went on
duty in March 2000. These days, we have joint combat duty with units
and formations of the Armenian, Belarussian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and
Uzbek armies. Needless to say, our work together allows for better
protection of the borders, lessens the stress of forces on duty, and
is generally less expensive. For example, it enabled us to cut down
the number of Russian units with radar turned on.
Question: How is the United System financed?
Aitech Bizhev: It is financed in accordance with the Provision on the
financial planning, establishment, restoration, and improvement of
the System. Money is provided as specified by the annual financial
plan endorsed by the CIS Council of the Heads of States. The plan
indicates how much is to be spent on establishment and modernization
of antiaircraft defense means, how much on joint functions, and how
much on joint modernization programs. All money is transacted from
budgets of participants to the bank account of the Coordinating
Committee. It is managed by Coordinating Committee chairman a.k.a.
Russian Air Force commander-in-chief. As for units of national armies
and modernization of national antiaircraft defense systems, every
country is on its own.
Question: What do you mean by “joint programs”?
Aitech Bizhev: The CIS Council of the Heads of States endorsed
Portfolio of the joint programs on June 20, 2000. Their fulfillment
maintains and modernizes national antiaircraft defense systems of all
countries in accordance with their needs. We hope eventually to form
regional antiaircraft defense systems in the East European, Central
Asian, and Caucasus areas. We already drew up a portfolio on
establishment of the united Russian-Belarussian antiaircraft defense
system. Joint programs are implemented in the form of joint combat
training. Command exercises and drills involving command structures
and forces on duty of the United System have been under way since
1995. More than 20 drills and exercises took place already. As a
rule, they involve tactical teams of Russian and CIS armies. They
drill co-operation between command structures and forces on duty in
dealing with trespassers, in assistance to craft in distress. Not
long ago, Russian, Belarussian, and Kazakh fighters executed a
maneuver-requiring landing on each other’s airfields. An AWACS-type
craft was involved in the exercise.
Exercises of the Combat Brotherhood series are organized on a regular
basis, on Russian testing sites for the time being. They always
include elements of shooting practice. Almost 70 batteries of
antiaircraft missiles, up to 60 crews of fighter, ground-strafer, and
bomber aviation, and dozens crews of radar operators participated in
the series. Servicemen will find tactical situations tricky indeed
this year. We have come up with some ideas on how to make life hard
for jammers and for whoever will have to deal with targets. Crews of
antiaircraft complexes will have to be put in the standby mode and
launch on the march. Armenia, Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Belarus
(the latter hopes to test its automatic control system) will
participate in the exercise. Our crews will travel to Balkhash in
Kazakhstan to execute test with the S-400 complexes. A command
exercise on our central command post will take place in April.
Strategic aviation aircraft will play targets. This is going to be
the first such exercise, but not the last.
Question: Here is a situation that is not at all impossible: a border
of some member of the CIS United Antiaircraft Defense System is
violated. Will Russia come to this country’s help?
Aitech Bizhev: Yes, it will. Forces on duty of the invaded country
make a report to the central command post. Forces and means of the
United System are put on full alert. “All weapons free” decision are
made by commanders-in-chief of the Air Forces and Antiaircraft
Forces.
Translated by A. Ignatkin