Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Border 2008 Looks Past The War In Georgia

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Border 2008 Looks Past The War In Georgia

    BORDER 2008 LOOKS PAST THE WAR IN GEORGIA
    by Denis Telmanov

    WPS Agency
    What the Papers Say (Russia)
    August 18, 2008 Monday
    Russia

    Armenian defense minister invites Georgian attache to observe CSTO
    exercises

    Border 2008 exercises taking place in Armenia; The latest phase of
    Border 2008 - joint exercises for the CIS Collective Security Treaty
    Organization - begins in Armenia today. The Georgian military attache
    in Armenia has been invited to attend as an observer.

    The latest phase of Border 2008 - joint exercises for the CIS
    Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) - begins in Armenia
    today. The next phase will involve live-fire exercises, and a meeting
    of the CSTO Council of Defense Ministers on August 22.

    As we reported on July 30, the main aim of Border 2008 is to work out
    what the CSTO could do to defend an allied state, Armenia, against
    external aggression. The exercises involve around 4,000 military
    personnel - including 1,500 Russian personnel from the 102nd military
    base at Gyumri.

    Major General Sergei Chuvakin, head of the CSTO Staff planning and
    coordination directorate, has already arrived in Yerevan. He told us
    that the current phase entails staff preparations for the practical
    phase of the exercises, when Russian and Armenian personnel will
    be firing at 1,500 targets at the Bagramian range. They plan to
    use over 45,000 rounds of ammunition, including some aircraft-based
    ammunition. Air power for Border 2008 is provided by 35 fighter jets,
    attack aircraft, and helicopters.

    CSTO Staff spokesman Vitali Strugovtsev told us that the Georgian
    military attache in Armenia - Colonel Murtaz Gudzhedzhiani, appointed
    in late February - has been invited to observe the firing exercises
    carried out by Russian and Armenian troops. However, Major General
    Chuvakin said that the Border 2008 headquarters has no information
    about the Georgian attache's presence.
Working...
X