Russian pilots hold air battle drills in Far East
MOSCOW. March 27 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's fighter aircraft began tactical flight drills in the Eastern Military District (EMD) on Thursday.
"The maneuvers, which involve over 30 Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30 aircraft in various modifications, about 300 pilots and engineers from two fighter aviation units deployed in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories, will last until the end of week," Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Alexander Gordeyev told Interfax-AVN on Thursday.
"This is the first time that a fighter aviation exercise of this scale, by the number of the aircraft involved and the spectrum of tasks, is conducted in the District," he said.
The exercise aims at maintaining combat readiness and alert. "During the flights the pilots are to perform a number of specific tasks such as covering important assets against enemy's airstrikes, seizing control of airspace and conducting an air battle in pairs and in flights. Colleagues from the two Far East regions will be acting against one another as imaginary enemies," the officer said.
The exercise also involves the practice of a number of elements with the use of air battle computer simulation, the spokesperson said.
