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  • The covered sky

    Agency WPS
    DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
    February 11, 2005, Friday

    THE COVERED SKY

    SOURCE: Vremya Novostei, February 9, 2005, p. 4

    by Nikolai Poroskov


    Heads of 10 countries of the Commonwealth: Armenia, Belarus, Georgia,
    Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,
    and Ukraine met on February 10, 1995, and signed Accord on the CIS
    United Antiaircraft Defense System. The Accord does not have a
    definite expiry date; it is open for new subscribers who accept
    provisions of the CIS Air Space Defense Concept and Plan of
    Co-operation of the United Antiaircraft Defense System. Georgia and
    Turkmenistan have stayed away from programs within the framework of
    the CIS United Antiaircraft Defense System since 1997.

    These days, the CIS United Antiaircraft Defense System comprises 19
    fighter regiments (11 of them Russian), 29 antiaircraft missile
    regiments (11 Russian), 22 technical formations (9 Russian), 2 units
    of radar and jammers (both Russian), 4 antiaircraft defense brigades
    (all of them Kazakh). Antiaircraft missile regiments have Osa, Buk,
    S-75, S-125, S-200, and S-300 complexes of different models. Fighter
    aviation is represented by MIG-23s, MIG-29s, MIG-31s, and SU-27s.
    Here is an interview with Lieutenant General Aitech Bizhev, Russian
    Armed Forces Second-in-Command in charge of the CIS United
    Antiaircraft Defense System.

    Question: Many things changed in these last ten years. The CIS
    Headquarters for Coordination of Military Co-operation is being
    ousted by the analog from the Organization of the CIS Collective
    Security Treaty. Does it have any effect on the CIS United
    Antiaircraft Defense System?

    Aitech Bizhev: The United System is working nowadays, performing the
    functions for which it was established in the first place: protection
    of air borders of the Commonwealth, joint control over the use of air
    space, exchange of information on air situations, missile and air
    raid warnings and dealing with them. We succeeded in restoration of
    the system of mutual exchange of information ruined by the collapse
    of the Soviet Union. We also set up the structure of forces on duty
    and organized combat training. Exchange of information on situations
    in the air is constant. In fact, it is automatic at least among
    central command posts of the Air Forces and Antiaircraft Forces of
    Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

    Question: But weapons and military hardware of the United System have
    to be constantly repaired and upgraded every now and then. In the
    meantime, Russia alone has the industrial facilities to build
    antiaircraft complexes...

    Aitech Bizhev: Spare parts needed to maintain antiaircraft military
    hardware of CIS countries are provided in accordance with Decree 1953
    of the president of the Russian Federation (December 1, 2000).
    Whatever needs repairs is repaired in Russia. Every now and then,
    teams of specialists themselves travel to the units with military
    hardware in need of repair. Unfortunately, some standard acts of the
    Russian Federation interfere with development of military-technical
    co-operation, paradoxical as it is. However, changes in the acting
    legislation initiated in the last 2-3 years only diminish
    effectiveness of military-technical co-operation and attractiveness
    of services enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex.
    Coordinating Committee for Antiaircraft Forces drew some proposals it
    forwarded to the Federal Service of Military-Technical Co-operation.
    Their acceptance will ameliorate the situation.

    Question: NATO organized air defense of the Baltic States as soon as
    it expanded. How is combat duty within the framework of the United
    System organized?

    Aitech Bizhev: Antiaircraft defense forces of Russia and Belarus were
    the first to organize joint combat duty. Following that, Kazakhstan,
    Kyrgyzstan, and Russia signed a trilateral Instruction on joint
    actions of antiaircraft defense forces on duty. The forces went on
    duty in March 2000. These days, we have joint combat duty with units
    and formations of the Armenian, Belarussian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and
    Uzbek armies. Needless to say, our work together allows for better
    protection of the borders, lessens the stress of forces on duty, and
    is generally less expensive. For example, it enabled us to cut down
    the number of Russian units with radar turned on.

    Question: How is the United System financed?

    Aitech Bizhev: It is financed in accordance with the Provision on the
    financial planning, establishment, restoration, and improvement of
    the System. Money is provided as specified by the annual financial
    plan endorsed by the CIS Council of the Heads of States. The plan
    indicates how much is to be spent on establishment and modernization
    of antiaircraft defense means, how much on joint functions, and how
    much on joint modernization programs. All money is transacted from
    budgets of participants to the bank account of the Coordinating
    Committee. It is managed by Coordinating Committee chairman a.k.a.
    Russian Air Force commander-in-chief. As for units of national armies
    and modernization of national antiaircraft defense systems, every
    country is on its own.

    Question: What do you mean by "joint programs"?

    Aitech Bizhev: The CIS Council of the Heads of States endorsed
    Portfolio of the joint programs on June 20, 2000. Their fulfillment
    maintains and modernizes national antiaircraft defense systems of all
    countries in accordance with their needs. We hope eventually to form
    regional antiaircraft defense systems in the East European, Central
    Asian, and Caucasus areas. We already drew up a portfolio on
    establishment of the united Russian-Belarussian antiaircraft defense
    system. Joint programs are implemented in the form of joint combat
    training. Command exercises and drills involving command structures
    and forces on duty of the United System have been under way since
    1995. More than 20 drills and exercises took place already. As a
    rule, they involve tactical teams of Russian and CIS armies. They
    drill co-operation between command structures and forces on duty in
    dealing with trespassers, in assistance to craft in distress. Not
    long ago, Russian, Belarussian, and Kazakh fighters executed a
    maneuver-requiring landing on each other's airfields. An AWACS-type
    craft was involved in the exercise.

    Exercises of the Combat Brotherhood series are organized on a regular
    basis, on Russian testing sites for the time being. They always
    include elements of shooting practice. Almost 70 batteries of
    antiaircraft missiles, up to 60 crews of fighter, ground-strafer, and
    bomber aviation, and dozens crews of radar operators participated in
    the series. Servicemen will find tactical situations tricky indeed
    this year. We have come up with some ideas on how to make life hard
    for jammers and for whoever will have to deal with targets. Crews of
    antiaircraft complexes will have to be put in the standby mode and
    launch on the march. Armenia, Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Belarus
    (the latter hopes to test its automatic control system) will
    participate in the exercise. Our crews will travel to Balkhash in
    Kazakhstan to execute test with the S-400 complexes. A command
    exercise on our central command post will take place in April.
    Strategic aviation aircraft will play targets. This is going to be
    the first such exercise, but not the last.

    Question: Here is a situation that is not at all impossible: a border
    of some member of the CIS United Antiaircraft Defense System is
    violated. Will Russia come to this country's help?

    Aitech Bizhev: Yes, it will. Forces on duty of the invaded country
    make a report to the central command post. Forces and means of the
    United System are put on full alert. "All weapons free" decision are
    made by commanders-in-chief of the Air Forces and Antiaircraft
    Forces.

    Translated by A. Ignatkin
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