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RF, US, Canada to have military exercises to fight air terrorism

The Russian Armed Forces will be represented by the Eastern Military District

MOSCOW, August 21 (Itar-Tass) — Russia, the U.S. and Canada for the third time will have exercises in fighting combat air terrorism, press service of Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday.

"In accordance with the plan of military cooperation between the armed forces of Russia and the Armed Forces of the United States of America for 2012, between August 27 and 29, Russia’s Air Force and the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) will hold international exercises Vigilant Eagle 2012" to train joint actions in capture of an aircraft by terrorists,” the press service said.

"The Russian Armed Forces will be represented by the Eastern Military District,” the source said. “The exercises’ headquarters will be located in Khabarovsk, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Colorado Springs and Anchorage. These manoeuvres, which will involve also the Armed Forces of Canada, have become traditional and are being held for the third time already."

"Russian, American and Canadian troops will work out cooperation in the event a passenger aircraft’s capture by terrorists", the press service said adding that the commander from the Russian side would be Major General Sergei Dronov of the Eastern military district, from NORAD - head of training and exercises Joseph Bonnet III.

The Russian Defence Ministry said the first exercises of the kind involved Russia, the U.S. and Canada. They were held in 2010 in the Far East and Alaska.