Russian Air Force Trains Ahead of Joint Antiterrorist Exercise With China
Text of report by Russian news agency Interfax-AVN website
Moscow, 27 July: The Russian Air Force on Friday [27 July] trained at the site of the forthcoming Peaceful Mission 2007 exercise, the deputy head of Air Force exercises, Maj-Gen Oleg Kolyada, told Interfax-AVN.
“The entire Russian aviation taking part in the exercise was involved in the dress rehearsal on Friday. A full training session was held. Aviation launched an attack on land-based targets using live and mock firing,” he said. He was speaking by telephone from the site of the forthcoming exercise.
“I think that flight crews are fully prepared and are capable of fulfilling the tasks set in all five parts of the exercise, each of which involves aviation,” Kolyada said.
He added that Chinese aviation would be involved in the exercise on a parity basis and fulfil set tasks.
“We have a joint command and control post and a post for controlling practice operations [Russian: "punkt upravleniya prakticheskimi deystviyami"]. Issues of coordination and precise execution of tasks will be dealt with after the arrival of the Chinese Air Force on our territory, that is between 1 and 6 August,” the general said. According to him, the first joint training session involving Russian and Chinese air force groups has been set for 6 August.
The Russian Air Force will deploy in the exercise six Il-76 military transport aircraft from the fleet of the 61st air army of the high command (military transport aviation), 12 Mi-8 helicopters and 12 Mi-24 helicopters from the fleet of the 5th air force and air defence army (Yekaterinburg), and eight Su-25 attack aircraft from the fleet of the 4th air force and air defence army (Rostov-na- Donu), Kolyada said.
The general added the Chinese Air Force would deploy in the exercise six Il-76 aircraft, six Chinese-manufactured fighter bombers similar to the Su-24 frontline bomber, and a company of paratroopers which is part of the Air Force.
“In addition, the army aviation of the Ground Troops will deploy 16 Chinese-manufactured helicopters and 16 Mi-17s. Twelve of them will take part in the exercise, while the remaining four will be on standby,” the general explained.
He also reported that “the first echelon from China consisting of 106 military personnel, including 29 representatives of the Air Force and the army aviation of the Ground Troops, on Friday arrived in the area where the exercise will take place. They will carry out work to relocate the aviation group to Shagol airfield (Chelyabinsk Region), where the Chinese aviation will be based.”
“In addition, six Russian Il-76 aircraft will be based at the airfield. The remainder of the Russian aviation, including the helicopters and airplanes of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Security Service and other force agencies, will be based at Uprun airfield,” Kolyada said.
The general also reported that the relocation of the first flying echelon of the Chinese Ground Troops aviation via Barnaul airfield was being delayed until Saturday. “The move was to start on Friday, but unfortunately it was not possible to do that due to weather conditions. Chinese helicopters will have to fly over a pass and through a canyon, which is why the pilots will require good weather in order to operate safely,” he said.
[ITAR-TASS news agency reported at 0937 gmt on 30 July that the Peaceful Mission 2007 exercise, which involves member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, will be held on 9-17 August. In a later report (1118 gmt, 30 July), ITAR-TASS referred to Peaceful Mission 2007 as "an antiterrorist exercise". The agency quoted Russian Airborne Troops commander Aleksandr Kolmakov as saying that the Russian and Chinese airborne troops would each have 120 personnel and 10 pieces of military equipment taking part in the exercise.]
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