Moscow, Mar 21 (IANS/RIA Novosti): Russian Air Defence Force has begun massive drills
in eastern part of the country, in which over 500 weapon systems, 50 aircraft and some 2,000 troops have been deployed, military officials said Wednesday.
The exercise in the Buryatia, a federal subject of Russia, saw Wednesday the use of S-300 surface-to-air missile systems, Osa, Buk, Strela and Shilka antiaircraft missiles, Igla man-portable SAM missiles, and Pantsir-S gun-missile systems, Eastern Military District press officer Lt. Col. Alexander Gordeyev said.
The exercise, which will last through mid-April, is designed to test the readiness of the district's air-defense forces and combat aviation to perform joint missions and rehearse a range of combat training tasks in modern warfare, Gordeyev said.