DUSHANBE. Nov 14 (Interfax-AVN) - The airfields in Tajikistan's Kulyab and Kurgan-Tyube can host means and forces that will be involved in search and rescue operations in the region, Major Yaroslav Roshchupkin, official with the command of the Russian Defense Ministry operations group in Tajikistan, told Interfax-Military News Agency on Wednesday.
The conclusion on the matter was made by the group's commander Lieutenant General Vladimir Popov, Roshchupkin said.
There have been no orders on the use of Russian search and rescue forces in Afghanistan so far, Roshchupkin stressed. But once such an order is issued Russian rescuers and combat support groups personnel will be capable of accomplishing corresponding missions for they have undergone special training. If it happens both airfields will be the main ones for the search and rescue forces because they are located no more than 70km to 80km from the Tajik-Afghan border.
The forces and support groups have been trained at a military airfield in Dushanbe for about a month, Roshchupkin stressed. In accordance with the agreement between Popov and Colonel Budro, representative of the U.S. Armed Forces in Dushanbe, American specialists are involved in the training of Russian rescuers. The Rsusians have practised all elements of a search and rescue operation during the training.
The operation consists of several stages, including reception of a signal through space communication means, notification of rescue forces, search for pilots in distress with the help of the AN-26 Curl radio-technical surveillance plane, airdrop of a paratrooper rescue group, evacuation of pilots with the help of MI-8 Hip helicopters in the landing or hovering modes and transportation of victims to military medical installations in Tajikistan. All operations of the rescuers will be covered by MI-24 Hind helicopters and supported by special force units.
During the training the crews of Russian combat and search helicopters practised the search of victims in a vector mode in accordance with the U.S. methods, studied means of visual indication and orientation on the terrain used by the U.S. Armed Forces.