Inspectors from Ukraine, France, U.S. to inspect Russia from air in terms of military activities
MOSCOW. Aug 31 (Interfax-AVN) - A joint mission of France, the U.S., and Ukraine will make an observation flight over Russian territory between August 31 and September 4, acting in conformity with the Open Skies Treaty.
"The flight will be accomplished using a French C-130H observation aircraft," chief of the National Center of Reducing Nuclear Danger Sergey Ryzhkov told reporters.
"During the flight along an agreed route, Russian experts on board the aircraft will be monitoring strict compliance with agreed flight parameters and use of observation equipment as stipulated by the Treaty," he said.
The C-130H aircraft falls within the aircraft type that is not equipped with any weapons. Both the aircraft and the aerial cameras installed on it have passed an international examination with participation of Russian experts. This excludes use of any technical devices not specified by The Open Skies Treaty.
The Open Skies Treaty was signed in 1992 and ratified by all of its parties (over 30 states) in 1995. The main goal of the Treaty is to facilitate observation of compliance with existing or future agreements on arms control, as well as the building of more instruments for the prevention and settlement of crisis situations under the aegis of the OSCE.