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STRATEGIC AVIATION PARTICIPATES IN AIR DEFENSE MANEUVERS FOR THE FIRST TIME

RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, February 10 (RIA Novosti) - In 2005, aircraft from the Russian Strategic Aviation fleet will participate for the first time in joint CIS air defense maneuvers, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force on the issues of the Joint CIS Air Defense System Lieutenant General Aitech Bizhev announced at a Moscow press conference.

"We plan to conduct a command-and-staff training exercise at the Central Command Post in April 2005. During the exercise, we will deploy for the first time strategic aviation aircraft as test targets," Mr. Bizhev said.

"We also plan to conduct similar exercises in the future," he added.

The general said that during the 2005 air defense maneuvers, the command intends to increase the intensity of the combat crews' workload. Exercises involving live fire will be more complex. "It refers to both the level of electronic countermeasures and to target patterns. Crews manning air defense complexes will have to perform in a very dynamic environment," Bizhev said.

The crews will have to deploy air defense complexes from a traveling position, immediately bring them to full combat readiness and conduct missile launch practices.

Armenia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Belarus requested the permission to participate in the exercise. They want to test the automated control system during the air defense maneuvers.

"Our crews will also practice at the Balkhash testing site in Kazakhstan, where they will test the full range of capabilities of the S-400 air defense complex," Mr. Bizhev said.

General Bizhev reminded journalists that Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine had been conducting joint CIS air defense maneuvers since 1995.

"During the recent years, 70 air defense battalions, 60 crews of fighter, bomber and attack aircraft and dozens of radio-technical units participated in live fire exercises," the general emphasized.