WASHINGTON, June 02. /ITAR-TASS/. The United States has certified Russia’s new digital aerial surveillance equipment, which will be used on Russian aircraft for inspection flights over European states within the frames of the Open Skies Treaty, a source in the US Department of State said on Monday.

Russia’s new optic-electronic surveillance sensor will be mounted on Antonov An-30B (NATO classification: Clank). As of now, all 34 participating countries in the treaty, including Russia and the United States, have certified the new equipment.

The source also said that many other treaty members, including the United States and its NATO allies, expressed intentions to develop their own new digital surveillance tools for inspection flights within the frames of the treaty.

The issue of certifying the new Russian aerial surveillance equipment was the subject of heated debates in the United States as it was opposed by Pentagon and the Department of Defense.

The Open Skies Treaty was signed in 1992 and currently boasts 34 member states. The treaty entered into force in 2002. Surveillance flights are conducted over Russia, the United States, Canada and European countries.

The key tasks of the treaty are to develop transparency, monitor the fulfillment of armament control agreements, and expand capabilities to prevent crises within the frames of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other international organizations.