MOSCOW, May 19 (Itar-Tass) - Russian inspectors will start observation flights over the U.S. territory on Sunday under the Open Skies Treaty, the Russian Defense Ministry reports.
"A group of Russian experts is planning to make two consecutive observation flights over the U.S territory on the Russian Tu-154M Lk-1 plane from May 19 to June 3. They will take off from the Wright Patterson and Travis airfields as part of the international treaty’s implementation. These are the 14th and 15th observation flights to be carried out by Russia over the territories of countries signatories to the Open Skies Treaty in 2013,” the Russian Defense Ministry went on to say.
U.S. experts will be onboard the plane alongside with the Russian inspectors to exercise control over the application of surveillance equipment and the implementation of the Open Skies Treaty provisions.
Observation fights are carried out on agreed routes with an aim to promote openness and transparency of the military activities of countries participants in the Open Skies Treaty.