Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan will conduct joint command-and-staff air defense drills on October 5-16, the Kyrgyz Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
The Chistoye Nebo (Clear Sky) 2012 exercise will be held in Kyrgyz, Tajik and Kazakh airspace and involve the interception of cruise missiles.
Russia will be represented by a group of experts from Air Force staff and MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors and an A-50 Mainstay AWACS plane deployed at the Kant airbase in Kyrgyzstan.
Kazakhstan’s three airbases will host the active phase of the drills. The former Soviet republic will also deploy five air defense brigades and command staff.
In line with the concept of the exercises, Kyrgyzstan will play the role of a ‘designated adversary’ with its L-39 Albatros combat trainers and Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft.
Tajikistan will be represented by Air Force command staff.
The exercises will be held as part of military cooperation among countries-members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and emphasize the air defense of the bloc from the southern direction.