Russian air-and-space defence troops prepare for tactical exercises

The air-and-space defence troops (Russian acronym is VKO) have set about preparing the crews of anti-aircraft missile units for tactical exercises with field firing in the summer period of training, Colonel Alexei Zolotukhin, VKO spokesman, told Itar-Tass. "In the summer period of training, air defence brigades are to hold five tactical exercises with field firing at Ashuluk firing range, including those with the use of S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, the Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile-and-gun systems, and will also participate in the Comradeship-in-Arms - 2013 exercises of the Joint Air Defence System of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), he pointed out. Zolotukhin said that during preparation for field firing the servicemen would drill ways to conduct air-and-space fighting, devoting special attention to their independent preparation of the hardware of the S-300 Favorit anti-aircraft missile systems, S-400 Triumph systems, as well as the Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile-and-gun systems for combat use. On the whole, VKO troops are to hold over 100 operational and combat training events in 2013, the VKO spokesman pointed out. These include seven tactical exercises with field firing at Ashuluk firing range, command-and-staff exercises and training sessions, joint exercises, and other arrangements. "The main efforts of the VKO Trops Command will be aimed at the inter- armed-service (inter-branch) nature of arrangmeents, at preventing and eliminating the aftermath of emergencies of natural and technogenic character, and at practicing matters concerning cooperative actions in a joint accomplishment of tasks with the Armed Forces of CIS countries and the Collective Security Treaty Organization," Colonel Zolotukhin said.