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Military drills

Russia's Center-2015 drills focus on international armed conflict localization

Overall, about 95,000 troops, over 7,000 weapons systems and other hardware, up to 170 planes and 20 ships will participate in the exercise

© ITAR-TASS/Donat Sorokin

YEKATERINBURG, September 14. /TASS/. The localization of an international armed conflict in the Central Asian theater of operations shall be the objective of the Center-2015 strategic command-post exercise (CPX), Vladimir Zarudnitsky, commander of the Central Military District, told journalists at the main command center in the military district’s headquarters on Monday.

"The main phase of the Center-2015 strategic CPX is beginning today. It is the basic combat training stage for the Central Military District in the 2015 training year. The forces with the military district have been tasked with localizing an international armed conflict in the Central Asian theater of operations," he said.

Earlier, the troops had regrouped in various ways - by road, rail or air - at a distance of up to 5,000 km, Zarudnitsky mentioned.

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"We have grouped the forces in the exercise areas, set up control centers and command, control, communications and computer systems and provided all kinds of support for the troops taking part in the upcoming drills. In addition, we have resolved issues pertaining to the mobilization plan and territorial defense," he said.

Exercise Center 2015 will take place between September 14 and 20.

Overall, about 95,000 troops, over 7,000 weapons systems and other hardware, up to 170 planes and 20 ships will participate in the exercise. Of them, about 12,000 personnel, around 470 armored combat vehicles, approximately 90 tanks, roughly 250 infantry fighting vehicles and some 130 armored personnel carriers and 20 artillery pieces and multiple-rocket launch systems will be used in the exercise at the Totsky and Donguz training areas in the European part of the Russian Federation.

The maneuvers will reveal the preparedness of the armed forces leadership of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CTO) member states for controlling the forces used in localizing an international armed conflict and in containing and eliminating illegal armed groups during combined special operations.

Russian General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov, dual-hatted as first deputy defense minister, is directing the maneuvers.

The drills involve the command element and forces of the Central Military District, Caspian Flotilla and Airborne Force, long-range bomber and transport aircraft, command elements and personnel of the Russian Ministry of the Interior, Emergencies Ministry, Federal Security Service, Federal Guards Service and Federal Drug Control Service, and the Kazakh command element and troops with the CSTO quick reaction force.

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"In addition, the commanders and staffs of the CSTO members’ armed forces will practice the planning of combined special operations and warfare organization and conduct," the Defense Ministry press office said.

The press office also said the commanders and their staffs would practise planning an international armed conflict localization and resolution operation and controlling coalition forces in battle.

Various phases of the drills will take place at 20 land-based, naval and air training grounds and areas in the Central and Southern Military Districts during the Center 2015 strategic CPX.

In addition, Exercise Center 2015 will check the mobilization readiness of the forces stationed in the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Novosibirsk, Samara and Chelyabinsk Regions as well as their deployment for the conduct of territorial defense designed to protect key governmental installations.

Earlier, the troops with the Central Military District, Caspian Flotilla, Airborne Force and Military Transport Aviation as well as air units from other military districts had been subjected to a surprise check, moved to designated assembly areas and performed marches by rail and air.

The surprise check saw a large-scale long-distance deployment of forces. For instance, large units of the Central Military District’s 41st Army moved from the area near Novosibirsk in Western Siberia to the Orenburg Region, while large units of the 2nd Army deployed from near Samara to the Astrakhan Region.

The aircraft from other military districts, which had moved to airfields in the Central Military District, flew in from airfields up to 6,000 km away.

The Center 2015 strategic CPX will end on September 20.

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