Kazinform, Kazakhstan
June 24 2005
CIS military exercise taking place in Russia
DUSHANBE-ASTANA, June 24.KAZINFORM. – The first phase of CIS combined
military exercises began at the Telemba firing range in the Chita
region in southwestern Russia Friday.
The exercise will last until July 10, Russian Defense Minister Sergei
Ivanov told a press conference in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, following a
meeting of the CIS Council of Defense Ministers, Kazinform quotes RIA
Novosti.
The Russian Air Force, the Baltic Fleet’s anti-aircraft defense units
and Belarus’ anti-aircraft defense troops are taking part in the
exercises.
“The second phase will take place on Kazakhstan territory in
Saryshagan, from August 5-12,” Ivanov said.
The second phase involves Kazakhstan’s air force units and
Kyrgyzstan’s anti-aircraft units.
The third phase will be held in Ashuluk, Russia’s Astrakhan region on
the Volga, from August 22-31. Field firing practice is scheduled for
August 30.
That phase is designed to train interaction between Armenia’s
anti-aircraft defense forces, Belarus’ air force and anti-aircraft
defense units, Russia’s air forces, and Tajikistan’s anti-aircraft
defense forces. Kazakhstan’s airborne defense forces officials will
observe.
Ivanov said the CIS defense ministers had discussed the idea behind
the exercises at their meeting today.
“The council approved the idea behind the exercises whose
participants are expected to train using national forces and
anti-aircraft defenses in the Eastern European, Caucasian and Central
Asian regions of the collective security zone,” Ivanov said.
The council looked into the CIS Coordinating Committee on
Anti-Aircraft Defense activities and outlined the major areas in
which to develop the CIS’ unified anti-aircraft defense system
between 2006 and 2010.
The defense ministers also discussed flight safety figures from 2004,
decided on a schedule of joint events for 2006, approved documents on
the international classification of the Armed Forces’ supplies and
approved a CIS organization to do research in military metrology and
ensure metrological support.