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Chinese warplanes to practice near Russia’s Orenburg during Tsentr-2019 exercise

In total, 23 air crews of China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) will take part in this stage of the exercises

MOSCOW, September 19. /TASS/. Crews of the Chinese Air Force flying Shenyang J-11 air superiority fighter jets, Xi'an JH-7 fighter-bombers and Xian H-6 strategic bombers will practice an attack on ground targets at a military testing range near the southern Urals city of Orenburg as part of the Tsentr-2019 exercis, the Russian Defense Ministry’s press service said on Thursday.

"Chinese Air Force crews will fulfill tasks of using air-delivered ordnances against ground targets, flying J-11 fighters, JH-7A fighter-bombers, H-6K strategic bombers, Z-10 helicopters. Besides, they will also carry out cargo airdropping missions from the Y-9 and Il-76 aircraft," the ministry said.

The Chinese planes will take off from the Orenburg-2 aerodrome. In total, 23 air crews of China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) will take part in this stage of the exercises.

The J-11 fighter jet is a modification of Russia’s Su-27 aircraft, produced under license by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. The Xian H-6 is a modification of the Soviet Tupolev Tu-16 twin-engine strategic bomber.

All in all, the strategic command-and-staff exercise Tsentr-2019 will involve 128,000 troops, more than 20,000 pieces of military equipment, 600 aircraft and 15 warships and auxiliary vessels. The main operations will be conducted on September 16-21 at training ranges in South Russia, Siberia and Urals and in the Caspian Sea. Servicemen from Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will take part.

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