From our old friend the Old Crow on the UDXF group:
Following information is noted on Russian MOD website dated 20 October 2012. It adds a little more to the story unfolding concerning activities by the Strategic Triad of the Russian Armed Forces. Which activity - or at least the Strategic Air Forces part of it - was reflected in the collection of morse communications by a number of UDXF monitors. The additional information apparently reveals that the Russians themselves used one of the Cruise Missiles launched by a Ehngel's-based TU95MS (Bear H) located some 800 Km away as a target for 2 SAMs fired by an Air-Defence PANTsIR' "C" located on the PEMBA Range. The ALCM was said to have been destroyed.
Details:
The active phase of combat training operations within the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is bringing to an end the Summer training period and the 2012 training year.
On the 19 October, on the PEMBA range - situated within the Republic of KOMI, the capability of the newest Anti-Air Missile/Gun Complex - the Pantsir'"C" to intercept an actual live Cruise Missile was assessed for the first time. Earlier crew training by the teams manning this newest complex being delivered to our army had been limited to the use of training version imitation Cruise Missile targets.
The launch of the Cruise Missile was accomplished by the crew of a Long Range Aviation TU-95MS bomber against a target which was located at a distance of 800 Km. The combat team of the Anti-Air Missile/Gun Complex Pantsir"C" successfully complied with the assigned mission and, not allowing the destruction of the target under their protection, destroyed the target (ie. the ALCM) using two AA missiles.
For several days prior to this event, personnel and equipment from Air/Space Defence Units were transported over several thousand Km into the PEMBA Range area by aircraft of Military Transport Aviation forces (VTA). They carried out further moves under their own resources - moving themselves several kilometres as part of the training. The combat teams and their vehicles assumed the duty of protecting a "dummy" administrative object. The actual protected object was the administrative building serving the Range area.
This training, carried out at the northern PEMBA Range has confirmed the high-level tactical-technical characteristics of the newest complex and the level of training of the complex
combat teams...