ASTRAKHAN. July 31 (Interfax-AVN) - The Kazakh Navy and Air Force will take part in the training voyage of Russia's Caspian Flotilla that starts in the Caspian Sea on Thursday, a spokesman for the operations group of the Kazakh Armed Forces at the exercise told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"In addition to observers, the large-scale exercise in the Caspian Sea will involve teachers of the Higher Naval College from the city of Aktau, warplanes and army aviation helicopters. They will take part in operations to find and intercept vessels and aerial targets sent by "terrorists" to carry out subversive and terrorist acts in the areas of intensive production activity and on transport communications. Kazakh pilots will perform bombing and inflict air strikes on maneuver targets," the spokesman said.
Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov, commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, held a coordination conference in Astrakhan on Wednesday. The event involved high-ranking officials of the Navy, the Caspian Flotilla command, and representatives of federal bodies taking part in the training voyage.
According to him, the goals of the war games include practicing measures aimed at cutting channels that can be used by international terrorists and drug dealers in the Caspian Sea, prevention of poaching, and prevention of possible subversive activities against oil and gas industry targets.
For the first time in the Russian history the training voyage will involve all military bodies of the nation. Apart from regular military units, the exercise will involve units of the railroad troops, Federal Border Guard Service, Federal Security Service (FSB), Interior Ministry troops, Emergencies Ministry and Transport Ministry.
The theoretical stage of the training will take place from August 1 to 7, and the active stage is scheduled for August 8 to 15.
About 10,000 people, 60 vessels and more than 30 aircraft will take part in the war games.
According to some sources, military officials from Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Iran will be present at the training voyage as observers.