Following extracts taken from articles on Russian MOD website, dated 30 November 2006. Translated by Old Crow and submitted to MT's Milcom Blog for information and interest.An observation flight over USA territory
Within the framework of the International Open Skies Agreement, The Russian Mission will carry out an observation flight over the United States during the period 11th to 16th March 2007. The flight will be accomplished by an observation TU-154M operating from Wright-Patterson airfield to a range of some 4900 kilometres. The observation flight over US territory will be carried out on completion of the current work being carried out by the Open Skies Mission which began on 6th March over Canadian territory, operating from Trenton airfield to a range of some 5400 kilometres. Russian, Canadian and American specialists aboard the TU-154M will be checking that all the agreed rules and regulations for such flights are observed. As far as the Russian specialists are concerned, this flight is the first one of the current year to be carried out over US and Canadian territory under the Open Skies agreement.
A briefing on the theme "65 years since the formation of Long Range Air Force - its composition and development" (The CinC Long Range Air Force - Lt General Igor' Khvorov - answers questions and comments). Date of article 12th March 2007.
There will be at least 10 live firings of airborne cruise missiles by LRA crews during the course of combat training in the current year. The intensity of LRA flight operations in the current year is at a very high level. During April, LRA crews will participate in Strategic Command-Staff training by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation; and in the summer, will take part in large-scale manoeuvres "Peaceful Mission 2007" within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation organisation at the Chebarkul' training area in the Volgo-Urals Military District. In addition, LRA aircraft will be actively participating in combat training involving the Joint Air Defence systems of the CIS - "Combat Community 2007" which will take place at the Ashuluk training area near Astrakhan' (No dates given). In the current year, the flying hours of crews has been increased to 5-10 hours, as a result of increased aviation fuel supplies reaching the units.
The Long Range Air Force is to take delivery of two modernised TU-160 missile carrying aircraft during 2007. The active process of refitting and modernisation of this type of aircraft has now begun. At the beginning of the year, two TU-160 were sent off to the Kazan' aircraft factory. At the beginning of April, practical bombing evolutions involving a highly
modernised TU-160, which was modernised during last year, will be carried out by a test-flight aircrew. The development of a new missile system - a cruise-missile with a higher speed - is taking place in parallel with the modernisation of already-existing missile weapons of the LRA. The CinC underlined that Russia had taken the world lead position in the area of cruise-missile systems of the "Air-Surface" and "Air-Air" category.
The Long Range Air Force carries out Combat Duty using rapid reaction readiness conditions. Russia's Long Range Aviation is carrying out Combat Duty with the missile-carrying aircraft on the ground, revealed the CinC of 37 Air Army of the Supreme High Command (Strategic Mission), Lieutenant-General Igor' Khvorov. "At the current time, we are maintaining Combat Duty posture with the aircraft on the ground. At the given signal, the duty crew is ready to carry out the combat mission against any point on the planet". The CinC also stated that the duty aircraft/crew did not have nuclear weapons on board, either on the ground or in the air. Present at a press-conference, the previous CinC LRA during the 60-80's - Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel General of Aviation Vasilij Reshetnikov confirmed that during the years of the "Cold War", missile-carrying aircraft on Combat Duty did not have nuclear weapons on board.
Russian LRA aircraft are capable of suppressing elements of the US's anti-missile defence. Missions to suppress elements of the US's anti-missile defences in Europe can be carried out by all LRA aircraft, revealed CinC 37 Air Army. "In as
much as all the elements of the antimissile defence appear to be weakly defended/shielded objects, then all types of aircraft of our air force will be able to suppress them electronically and by physical destruction".
Blog Editor's Note: Recently reported Russian Long Range Air Force frequencies from REA4 Moscow 1000/50 include: 2721.0 4179.0 4706.0 5157.0 7018.0 9193.0 11408.0 23961.0 kHz.