Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Air Force to conduct air defense exercise in southern Russia

RIA Novosti

14/08/2006 15:13 MOSCOW, August 14 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's air force will deploy S-300 air defense systems during a five-day combined air defense exercise in the south of the country this week, a spokesman said Monday.

"The active phase of a command-and-staff exercise at the Ashuluk test range on August 15-19 will be supervised by Colonel General Yury Solovyev, the head of the Russian Air Force Special Command," Alexander Drobyshevsky said.

The official said 10 S-300 air defense systems and more than 30 aircraft, including MiG-29 Fulcrum and Su-27 Flanker fighters, would participate in the exercise.

S-300 Favorit (NATO designation SA-10 Grumble) air defense system can simultaneously engage up to six targets at altitudes from 30 feet to 16.7 miles.

Russia completed in May 2006 the delivery of S-300 systems to Belarus to improve the effectiveness of the Integrated Air Defense System of the Commonwealth of Independent States.