Russia and ex-Soviet allies scramble fighter jets and bombers in huge war games
RUSSIA and its former Soviet allies have deployed more than 100 fighter jets, long-range bombers and combat helicopters in a massive military exercise to test their air defences in the face of spiralling tensions with the West.
By TOM BATCHELOR
Express.co.uk
Wed, Oct 26, 2016
At 8am Moscow time (10am BST) this morning, 130 command and control centres were put on high alert in Russia and six neighbouring countries – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The drill is testing Russia and its allies’ ability to respond to “airspace violations, including by hijacked aircraft” alongside “assisting crews of aircraft in distress”.
But they are also being seen as practise for a future war with the West.
Su-27, MiG-29 and MiG-31 fighter jets and Su-24 and Su-34 nuclear bombers are expected to take part.
Tu-160, Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 jets posed as enemy aircrafts in the simulated attack, which comes at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and NATO members.
All the countries involved in the drills contribute to the integrated air defence system overseen by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) – an alliance of former Soviet republics.
The major exercise is being co-ordinated from a Russian Air Force command centre near Moscow.
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