Joint air defense system discussed by CSTO

Creating a unified air defense system was discussed at the meeting of heads of CSTO member states’ delegations in Dushanbe on June 4, Tengrinews reports citing the press service of the Defense Ministry of Kazakhstan.

According to the press service, a delegation of the Ministry of Defense led by Defense Minister Imangali Tasmagambetov took part in the meeting of heads of delegations of member countries of the Collective Security Treaty with the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon. After that there was a meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the CSTO.

"At the meeting dedicated to military cooperation they discussed coalition military (collective air force, establishment of a united air and missile defense system of the CSTO, improvement of the work of the Joint Staff of the CSTO), clarified documents on rapid deployment of the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force (CRRF) and discussed military-technical cooperation. Consideration was also given to the status of basic organizations and their branches in the training of military personnel for CSTO member states," the press service of the Ministry said.

They also discussed readiness of troops of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces of the CSTO to carry out tasks for their intended purpose. Chief of Joint Staff of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Lieutenant General Studenikin provided information on the results of unannounced inspections of the CRRF held from May 13 to 21, 2015 involving relocation of the military contingents of the armed forces of CSTO member states on the territory of Tajikistan.

In late May Kazakhstani servicemen showed excellent preparedness during drills on Harbmaydon training grounds in Tajikistan, where an unannounced check of the CRRF took place. Then the military contingent of Kazakhstan together with the contingent of CSTO member states worked out issues related to elimination of illegal armed groups that penetrated into the territory of Tajikistan. Leaders of CSTO highly appreciated the level of training of Kazakhstani military personnel, their equipment, mobility during transfer over long distances and willingness to carry out the tasks as intended.

By Dinara Urazova