16 June 2005
Russia, Belarus To Conduct Open Skies Mission over United States
United States to host first of two missions scheduled for 2005
During the week of June 20, a joint Russian-Belarusian team will conduct its first observation mission in 2005 over the United States under the terms of the Open Skies Treaty, the U.S State Department announced June 15.
The team plans a second observation flight in July.
A U.S. escort team will accompany the Russian-Belarusian team aboard an unarmed Russian TU-154 aircraft equipped with optical cameras. According to the treaty, the observing team can take images of any point of U.S. territory along the agreed flight plan, and the United States will receive copies of all photos.
The Open Skies Treaty is designed to increase confidence and security by promoting transparency in military activities. Each state party has the right to undertake unarmed observation flights to gather information about the military forces of other parties.
Since the treaty entered into force on January 1, 2002, the United States has hosted three observation flights, all conducted by Russian-Belarusian teams. The United States has conducted 19 observation missions over Russia and Belarus.
Following is a State Department media note on the upcoming mission:
(begin text)
U.S. Department of State
Office of the Spokesman
June 15, 2005
MEDIA NOTE
OPEN SKIES TREATY: RUSSIAN OBSERVATION MISSION IN THE UNITED STATES
During the week of June 20, 2005, the Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus will conduct an Open Skies Treaty observation mission over the territory of the United States. The Open Skies Treaty entered into force on January 1, 2002. Since entry into force, this is the third observation mission the U.S. is hosting under the treaty. To date, the U.S. has conducted 19 observation missions over the territories of the Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus. This mission is the first of two observation missions by the Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus over the U.S. this year - the second one will take place in July.
-- The Russian TU-154 is an unarmed aircraft certified in accordance with Treaty provisions. It will arrive at Travis Air Force Base, California (a designated point of entry into the U.S.), and the mission will commence from Travis AFB.
-- A U.S. escort team from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) will accompany the Russian team throughout the mission, including on-board the aircraft during the observation flight.
-- The Russian aircraft is equipped with optical cameras. The U.S. will receive a copy of the imagery collected during the mission. Other Open Skies States Parties may also purchase copies of the imagery from Russia.
-- The Russian team will negotiate a mission route of up to 4,250 kilometers. The Treaty allows Russia, as the observing Party, to image any point on the territory of the U.S. along the agreed flight plan.
For further information, please see fact sheets on the Open Skies Treaty at www.state.gov/t/ac or www.dtra.mil
(end text)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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