Russian Eastern Military District Aviation Carries Out 300 Exercises © Sputnik/ Vitaliy Ankov

09:46 21.10.2015(updated 09:51 21.10.2015) Get short URL
http://sputniknews.com/russia/20151021/1028852181/military-drills-russia-aviation.html

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia’s Eastern Military District’s aviation has participated in over 300 tactical exercises this year, a military spokesman said Wednesday.

“In 2015, over 300 diverse tactical exercises were carried out using army, attack, fighter and bomber aircraft,” Alexander Gordeev said.

According to Gordeev, over half of the exercises included firing.

“In addition, special exercises on the use of high-precision weapons and guided missiles were carried out. The pilots of fighter and bomber aviation carried out more than 50 launches of air-to-air guided missiles, and more than 50 launches of air-to-surface guided missiles,” he added.

The Eastern Military District is one of four operational strategic commands in the Russian Armed Forces. The district was formed by a Presidential Decree, and signed September 2010.

Russia has established an Aerospace Forces and Air Defense Army in its Eastern Military District in August to improve the effectiveness of the Russian military’s command and control, as well as improving the organization of peacetime activities and troop-mobilization.