Russian-Armenian maneuvers to be held in Armenia in September

RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN MANEUVERS TO BE HELD IN ARMENIA IN SEPTEMBER

RIA Novosti, Russia
Aug 30 2005

EREVAN, August 30 (RIA Novosti, Gamlet Matevosyan) – Armenia will
host the final stage of the 10th annual Russian-Armenian tactical
exercises on September 13, a spokesman said Tuesday.

Colonel Seiran Shakhsuvaryan, the press secretary to the Armenian
defense minister, said a reinforced mechanized infantry regiment
would represent Armenia, and Russia would field servicemen from the
102nd military base, which is deployed in Armenia.

“The aim of the exercises is to practice defense interaction,” the
spokesman said.

Russian-Armenian military exercises were last held at an Armenian
testing range on August 26-27, 2004.

The 102nd Russian military base operates within the framework of the
Commonwealth of Independent States’ joint air defense system. It was
set up on the basis of the South Caucasus Military District forces
near the city of Gyumri in the northwest of the country in 1995. The
base is subordinate to the Group of Russian Forces in the South
Caucasus. Equipped with S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems and MiG-29
Fulcrum jet fighters, about 5,000 servicemen are stationed at the base.