Chinese, Russian troops train together for anti-terror exercise

Chinese and Russian armed forces participating in the upcoming joint anti-terror military exercise have rendezvoused at the exercise venue in northeast China's Jilin Province. About 1,300 troops from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and 1,300Russian troops are preparing for the five-day exercise, code-named "Peace Mission-2009" scheduled from July 22. The Russian troops came by rail, air and road to the PLA's Taonan tactical training base. Russia has dispatched 22 aircraft to the exercise, including Su-27 fighters, Su-24 and Su-25 attacker aircraft, and several helicopters. They have arrived at a military airport in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province, and will conduct joint training with the PLA air services to prepare for the exercise. The PLA's aviation unit consists of more than 40 aircraft including attackers, fighter-bombers, armed helicopters, transporters and surface-to-air missile defense systems as well as radar teams. The PLA is also working with the Russian counterparts on communication and safety measures, said Lieutenant General Ma Xiaotian, who is also the PLA's deputy Chief of the General Staff. An observation stand, which will be able to accommodate more than 200 journalists, is being constructed, from which the exercise can be viewed via more than 30 cameras in the exercise area. The Taonan training base is one of the PLA's major bases for military exercises. It belongs to the PLA's Shenyang Military Command. The Chinese and Russian troops will establish a joint command headquarters, a street combat zone and air defense zone to conduct the exercise in an area of more than 200 square kilometers.

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