MOSCOW. April 5 (Interfax) - The first joint rehearsal of the V-Day parade has taken place at the Alabino range in the Moscow region with the participation of dismounted troops, ground-based hardware, and aircraft, the Moscow Defense Ministry's information and mass communications department said.
According to the department, the parade celebrating the 76th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 will involve over 12,000 servicemen, more than 100 pieces of ground-based hardware, and 76 planes and helicopters.
"Servicemen from parade details will have 12 joint rehearsals on the venue that serves as a model of the country's main square," the ministry said.
The motorcade will consist of over 190 pieces of military hardware, including the legendary T-34 tanks, modern tanks T-72B3M, T-80BVM and T-90M Proryv, as well as the new tank T-14 Armata, in addition to BMP-3 and BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles with the Berezhok combat compartment, the new infantry combat vehicle Kurganets-25, and five types of the Taifun highly protected armored vehicles, including Taifun-PVO to make its first appearance on Red Square.
"The Iskander-M mobile short-range ballistic missile system, the Tornado-S rocket launcher, the Msta-S self-propelled howitzer, and the Koalitsiya-SV sell-propelled artillery system will represent weapons of the rocket and artillery systems. Modern intermediate- and shorter-range air defense missile systems Buk-M3 and Tor-M2 will represent weapons of the Ground Forces' air defense. Air defense systems of the Aerospace Forces will be represented by the Pantsir-S air defense artillery and missile system and S-400," it said.
The airborne part of the parade will feature Russian Knights and Swifts aerobatic teams flying Su-30SM and MiG-29 aircraft, as well as the Berkut team flying Mi-28N Night Hunter helicopters, and Tu-160 and Tu-95MS strategic bombers, Il-76 military transport aircraft, Su-35S fighter jets, Su-34 and Su-24M bombers, Mil-26, Mi-8, and Ka-52 Alligator helicopters, and other aircraft.
The air parade will end with the fifth-generation fighter jet Su-57, MiG-31K aircraft armed with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, and three groups of planes, namely, "the tactical wing" of the Lipetsk Air Training Center, "the Cuban diamond," and six Su-25 attack planes to paint the sky in the colors of the Russian flag.
"All flights were performed at the altitudes ranging from 180 to 550 meters and the speed ranging from 200 to 550 km/h," the ministry said.