MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. /TASS/. The helicopter crews of Russia’s 201st military base in Tajikistan practiced bombing and rocket launches during tactical drills, the press office of the Central Military District reported on Monday.
"During the main stage of the exercise at the Lyaur training range, the crews of Mi-8 helicopters practiced air-lifting a tactical assault force to a mountain ridge, and also providing fire support for armored and motorized infantry units in their offensive and their defense," the press office said.
"After receiving the coordinates of a notional enemy’s amassment areas from reconnaissance groups, the pilots dropped 100kg high-explosive fragmentation bombs and fired high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing rockets to strike the targets simulating the armor," the press office said.
The one-day tactical exercise held on January 13 involved over 500 personnel and about 100 items of armament and military hardware, the press office said.
The 201st military base stationed in Tajikistan is Russia’s largest military facility outside its borders. The military base is stationed in the cities of Dushanbe and Bokhtar. The military base’s armament includes T-72 tanks, BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, Grad multiple launch rocket systems, Gvozdika and Akatsiya artillery systems.
Under an agreement signed in October 2012, Russia’s military base in Tajikistan will remain until 2042.