ROSTOV-ON-DON. Aug 28 (Interfax) - Crews of Su-30SM fourth generation fighters conducted combat launches of air-to-air missiles at aerial targets of a mock enemy at a firing range in Crimea, Interfax was told by the information service of the Black Sea Fleet.
"In the course of training flights, pilots successfully fulfilled norms of taking off to intercept and destroy aerial targets of a mock enemy, drilled a set of measures to track, discover and destroy aerial light targets with air-to-air missiles," a press officer said.
He said that the crews trained piloting maneuvers to escape the air defense of the mock enemy. Part of the warplanes' crews was involved in the installation of small light targets. The exercise involved 10 fighters from the Air Force and Air Defense of the Southern Federal District.
It was reported earlier that units and formations of three combined arms forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla are taking part in a command post exercise in Russia's Southern Military District that began on Monday.
Twelve army, navy and aviation ranges in the Rostov, Volgograd and Astrakhan regions, as well as the Stavropol and Krasnodar territories and Crimea are hosting the exercise, it said.
Up to 8,200 servicemen and 2,500 pieces of military hardware, including more than 100 tanks, about 30 aircraft, 60 helicopters, and up to 10 ships of the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla are taking part in practicing tactical episodes of the two-sided exercise of the Southern Military District's troops.