TV REPORTS ON AIR DEFENCE EXERCISE AT RUSSIAN AIR BASE IN ARMENIA
Zvezda TV, Russia, Ministry of Defense
May 4 2008
[Presenter] The country’s southern shield is being tested for
robustness: alert signals were sounded again at the Russian air base
in Armenia. Fighter aircraft are scrambled into the air. A few minutes
into the flight it becomes clear that it was a practice alert.
The air defence forces on the ground also tested their readiness to
repel attacks. Our special correspondent Andrey Kovtunenko followed
the military exercise in Armenia’s peaceful skies.
[Correspondent] [Passage omitted] It is battle quarters at the Russian
air base of Erebuni. [Passage omitted] While the pilot is getting
ready for the flight, the technicians, having run 100 metres [to the
aircraft], are removing covers from a MiG-29. A few minutes later,
the pilot jumps into the cockpit and is ready to take off. [Passage
omitted]
The border with Turkey is only 14 km away – for a MiG, it is just
a couple of minutes. Therefore, depending on the combat mission,
[the pilot] has to turn one way or the other and fly back.
In 1998, the air group revamped its fleet: MiG-29s went on combat
training duty at the CIS combined air defence system. It is now 10
years since the MiG-29 started protecting the skies over Armenia. The
aircraft has acquitted itself well in hot conditions and in the
mountains. Experienced pilots treat this aircraft with respect:
it is easy to run and reliable in combat.
One can only speak to the pilot after he has accomplished his combat
mission: traditionally, they do not give interviews before the flight.
[Yevgeniy Yakimov, captioned as an aviation regiment commander; in the
cockpit after landing] We perform air defence tasks in the CIS combined
air defence system. We are performing our tasks successfully. On 22
[presumably April] there was a major large-scale exercise at the CIS
combined air defence system. We achieved our objective in full.
[Correspondent] Only a few years ago, Turkish pilots often staged
aerial tests for ours. Nowadays, this is a rare occurrence.
[Pavel Maratkanov, captioned as deputy commander of the air base for
educational work] It is not often that we are scrambled into action
but it happens. Sometimes they make sorties to test us – but not
often. The most recent incident was last year.
[Correspondent] While pilots polish their aerial skills, the missile
defence system is on permanent combat duty. Russian and Armenian
officers track all aerial targets together.
At the air defence base near Gyumri [also in Armenia], meanwhile,
the S-300 and Kub-3M missile defence systems are on alert. Servicemen
from this regiment recently took part in an exercise in Ashuluk
[in southern Russia]. Their performance was marked as excellent.
[Aleksandr Surinkin, captioned as anti-aircraft regiment commander]
At the 2008 tactical exercise with live firing, the regiment fired
on evading low-flying aerial target. The target was destroyed at the
maximum range. The mark was excellent.
[Correspondent] It is no secret to anyone here that Armenia regards the
102nd Russian military base deployed in the republic as an element of
it national security. In this country, they value friendly relations.