(ITAR-TASS) - More than 9,000 servicemen and 1,500 units of equipment will be involved in the Baikal-2006 command and staff exercise which the Siberian military district is beginning on Friday, reports Trend.
The participants in the weeklong drill will practice actions "ensuring the protection of transport facilities and economic interests of Russia in the eastern region. The maneuvers will be supervised by Russian army chief of staff Gen Yuri Baluyevsky," a Defense Ministry official told Itar-Tass.
For his part, head of the Air Force main headquarters Col-Gen Boris Cheltsov said the plan of the exercise envisions perfection of the mechanism to enlist the troops for "securing a state of emergency and carrying out anti-terrorist operations."
An important role is given to actions by the Air Force. In particular, the scenario of the war games envisions the use of warplanes, reconnaissance aircraft and helicopter gunships. Troops deployment to the region will be affected with military transport planes.