Tula, Central European Russia, September 6 (AVN) - A two-day Russian-French tactical exercise with landing and live firing started near the city of Tula some 200km south of Moscow on Thursday.
The exercise involves a paratrooper company of the 51st paratrooper regiment organic to Russia's 106th airborne division, and a paratrooper company of the French 11th separate airborne brigade. The French paratroopers have arrived in Russia under the auspices of a military units exchange programme. The exercise is taking place in the division's Lesnoye training centre near Tula.
Colonel Vladimir Krymsky, the division's chief-staff, told the Military News Agency that the training programme envisaged joint landing of Russian and French paratroopers from an IL-76 Candid plane, capture of a beachhead in the manoeuvre enemy's rear and its defence until the approach of the main motorised rifle forces. The exercise will be as close to combat conditions as possible, its participants will make a 50km march, set up company strong-points for defence and perform combat firing.
The exercise will end in a supper at the proving range, where the French guests will be given Russian Airborne badges and parachute jumper IDs confirming that they have made four jumps in the Russian territory.