MOSCOW. March 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Air defense units in Russia's Western Military District have started large-scale field maneuvers, which will include missile launches against the simulated adversary's low-flying assault aircraft, attack helicopters and drones, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
"The field maneuvers will continue for a month and will be concluded by a series of tactical and specialized tactical tests involving live-fire exercises and practical missile launches. At specialized firing ranges of the district, crews operating Igla and Verba man-portable air defense systems, TOR and Strela-10 air defense missile systems, Shilka anti-aircraft self-propelled systems and Tunguska anti-aircraft missile systems will have to tackle the tasks of destroying various aerial targets, including those simulating the imaginary adversary's low-flying assault aircraft, attack helicopters and drones," the Western Military District said in a press release shared with Interfax-AVN.
The maneuvers are taking place at five firing ranges and involve some 1,200 servicemen and 800 weapons and units of military hardware, it said.
The drills will also include measures dealing with route marches to designated districts, deployment, cross-branch interaction, as well as steps to cover forces conducting defensive and offensive operations.
The maneuvers will also include steps to "destroy the adversary in the air amid active influence on the air defense system by the simulated adversary's electronic countermeasures and sabotage and reconnaissance groups," it said.
As much as 90% of the field maneuvers' time will be dedicated to tactical, specialized and engineering training, it said.
"During the rest of the maneuvers' period, the servicemen will further perfect their skills of operating combat vehicles. The duration of combat training amounts to up to ten instruction hours a day," it said.