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Pilots sharpen skills in firing air-to-air missiles during Russian Far East drills

During the event a Su-30SM mine-laying aircraft dumped special air-launched small targets at an altitude of 5,000 to 10,000 meters

Su-30SM aircraft Marina Lystseva/TASS

Su-30SM aircraft

© Marina Lystseva/TASS

CHITA, April 15. /TASS/. Fighter pilots from the Eastern Military District (EMD) underwent training to hone their skills in using air-to-air missiles during drills in the Trans-Baikal Region, the EMD press service reported on Monday.

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"The pilots improved their skills in using guided air-to-air missiles. During the event a Su-30SM mine-laying aircraft dumped special air-launched small targets at an altitude of 5,000 to 10,000 meters. The pilots of Su-30SM fighter aircraft and MiG-31 high-altitude interceptors detected and destroyed them in groups of two and three," the report says.

According to the press service, aviation personnel trained with close air combat elements customary for attacks or avoiding attacks of one or several ‘enemy’ planes during the launches. "This strategy may be used to shield the most important facilities under conditions involving limited space for maneuvers," the EMD press service explained.

Over 30 flight missions were carried out during the exercise.

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