MOSCOW. Nov 7 (Interfax) - Russian and Egyptian joint air defense units have conducted live fire drills and launches from various air defense missile systems during the Arrow of Friendship 2019 international exercise outside Cairo, the press service of the Southern Military District said.
"Joint battalions of Buk-M2E and Tor-M2E air defense missile systems intercepted and hit a mock enemy unmanned aerial vehicle approaching the airfield. Joint units of Igla-S man-portable air defense missile systems driving pickup trucks have destroyed a mock enemy 'helicopter', while the combined crews of Shilka-M4 self-propelled air defense systems have destroyed lightly armored vehicles and live personnel of the mock enemy," the statement said.
Chief of the Russian Army Air Defense Forces Lieut. Gen. Alexander Leonov and Commander of the Egyptian Air Defense Forces Lieut. Gen. Ali Fahmi supervised the drills, the Southern Military District said.
"The export versions of several air defense missile systems manufactured in Russia, Pechora-2, Buk-M2, Tor-M2, Shilka ZSU-23-4, and Igla-S man-portable air defense missile systems are used in the exercise," Leonov said.
Live fire drills have been successful, he added. All targets, "which have been placed, these are the Banshee, Beechcraft and Commander unmanned aerial vehicles, were destroyed by a missile."
The air defense systems were manned by joint Russian and Egyptian crews, which took turns to fire at different targets, the general said.
The Russian, Egyptian joint air defense taskforce drilled the tasks of rebuffing an aerial attack of combat drones in the hard terrain of African desert. The Polyana-D4M1 automated control system was used to control air defense units.
The Egyptian Ground Troops on BMP-2 IFVs, as well as the personnel armed with AK-74 assault rifles, Kalashnikov RPK hand machineguns, and RPG-7 hand antitank grenade launchers were involved, as well.
Arrow of Friendship 2019, which is held on October 26 - November 7, is the first such joint exercise between Russian and Egyptian air defense forces. An air defense tactical training center in Egypt is hosting the drills.