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Russian TV shows top secret air force command post during exercises
RTR Russia TV, Moscow
5 Apr 05
[Presenter] Eight states, three Russian bases in the CIS and almost
60 aircraft are being used in the joint command-post exercise of the
CIS integrated air defence system. The peculiarity of the exercises is
flights in Belarusian airspace, for the first time ever. With unique
footage of secret Defence Ministry facilities, Dmitriy Petrov reports.
[Correspondent] Almost 60 aircraft - the participation of such a large
quantity of military hardware is one of the principal characteristics
of the training. The goal of the exercises is to check the combat
readiness of the air defence system and the administering of help to
aircraft in distress. Forces from the air defence systems of eight CIS
countries are taking part in the manoeuvres. And all information is
coming into here. The commander-in-chief of the air force, Vladimir
Mikhaylov, today is in Tajikistan, but he is always in communication.
The central command point of the air force controls everything
from this bunker which is located deep under ground. According to
the instructions for today's exercises, Russian bombers from the
long-range aviation are playing the role of violators of CIS air space.
Journalists are given access to one of the Ministry of Defence's most
secret facilities no more than once every six months. In answer to a
question about how deep under ground the bunker is, an officer answers
evasively: consider it more than 100 [as received]. Before starting,
the cameraman is told at length what can and cannot be filmed.
In the morning, two Tu-160 and Tu-95 strategic bombers and also
four Tu-22 long-range bombers take off from the Engels airdrome in
the direction of Belarus. Their fellow CIS members have the task of
intercepting the targets and forcing them to land.
[Boris Cheltsov, Chief-of-Staff of the Russian air force] The
performance grading intercept targets simulated by the long-range
aircraft have been intercepted by forces of the Russian strike
aviation. On entering the air space of the Republic of Belarus, the
strike aircraft of the Republic of Belarus will step into action and
operate. And interceptions were carried out in the territory of the
Armenian Republic.
[Correspondent] The work of the strike and the interceptor aircraft
in the skies above Belarus is coordinated by an A-50 long-range radar
surveillance and guidance aircraft. Another plane should have taken
off for Armenia but Georgia, as it did one year ago, did not allow
flights in its airspace. However, a job was found for it in the skies
above the North Caucasus. The A-50 oversaw control over the flights.
Today, the air forces of Central Asian member states have also been
deployed. Two Kazakh MiG-31 interceptors take off from Karaganda for
Perm. Another pair fly from Novosibirsk to Karaganda.
The military planned to use the Russian air base in Kant [Kyrgyzstan]
during the exercises, but the weather there today is unsuitable
for flying. Uzbek and Tajik anti-aircraft defence systems follow
the situation. Incidentally, the Russian strategic bombers today
landed outside Minsk for the first time in the history of a sovereign
Belarus. This year, the Russian air force will get another two Tu-160
aircraft.
[Video shows aircraft taking off and in flight; correspondent in
underground command bunker with screens and computers behind him; the
corridors of the bunker; graphics showing exercise manoeuvres, Cheltsov
speaking; A-50 in flight; an unidentified white aircraft - presumably
a Tu-160 Russian strategic bomber - taking-off and in flight]
RTR Russia TV, Moscow
5 Apr 05
[Presenter] Eight states, three Russian bases in the CIS and almost
60 aircraft are being used in the joint command-post exercise of the
CIS integrated air defence system. The peculiarity of the exercises is
flights in Belarusian airspace, for the first time ever. With unique
footage of secret Defence Ministry facilities, Dmitriy Petrov reports.
[Correspondent] Almost 60 aircraft - the participation of such a large
quantity of military hardware is one of the principal characteristics
of the training. The goal of the exercises is to check the combat
readiness of the air defence system and the administering of help to
aircraft in distress. Forces from the air defence systems of eight CIS
countries are taking part in the manoeuvres. And all information is
coming into here. The commander-in-chief of the air force, Vladimir
Mikhaylov, today is in Tajikistan, but he is always in communication.
The central command point of the air force controls everything
from this bunker which is located deep under ground. According to
the instructions for today's exercises, Russian bombers from the
long-range aviation are playing the role of violators of CIS air space.
Journalists are given access to one of the Ministry of Defence's most
secret facilities no more than once every six months. In answer to a
question about how deep under ground the bunker is, an officer answers
evasively: consider it more than 100 [as received]. Before starting,
the cameraman is told at length what can and cannot be filmed.
In the morning, two Tu-160 and Tu-95 strategic bombers and also
four Tu-22 long-range bombers take off from the Engels airdrome in
the direction of Belarus. Their fellow CIS members have the task of
intercepting the targets and forcing them to land.
[Boris Cheltsov, Chief-of-Staff of the Russian air force] The
performance grading intercept targets simulated by the long-range
aircraft have been intercepted by forces of the Russian strike
aviation. On entering the air space of the Republic of Belarus, the
strike aircraft of the Republic of Belarus will step into action and
operate. And interceptions were carried out in the territory of the
Armenian Republic.
[Correspondent] The work of the strike and the interceptor aircraft
in the skies above Belarus is coordinated by an A-50 long-range radar
surveillance and guidance aircraft. Another plane should have taken
off for Armenia but Georgia, as it did one year ago, did not allow
flights in its airspace. However, a job was found for it in the skies
above the North Caucasus. The A-50 oversaw control over the flights.
Today, the air forces of Central Asian member states have also been
deployed. Two Kazakh MiG-31 interceptors take off from Karaganda for
Perm. Another pair fly from Novosibirsk to Karaganda.
The military planned to use the Russian air base in Kant [Kyrgyzstan]
during the exercises, but the weather there today is unsuitable
for flying. Uzbek and Tajik anti-aircraft defence systems follow
the situation. Incidentally, the Russian strategic bombers today
landed outside Minsk for the first time in the history of a sovereign
Belarus. This year, the Russian air force will get another two Tu-160
aircraft.
[Video shows aircraft taking off and in flight; correspondent in
underground command bunker with screens and computers behind him; the
corridors of the bunker; graphics showing exercise manoeuvres, Cheltsov
speaking; A-50 in flight; an unidentified white aircraft - presumably
a Tu-160 Russian strategic bomber - taking-off and in flight]