Russia, NATO to hold joint military drill late SeptemberSeptember 19, 2013 - 10:17 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia and NATO will hold joint military exercises in late September, the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) said, according to RIA Novosti. The readiness of the NRC’s air traffic monitoring system, the Cooperative Airspace Initiative (CAI), to detect and respond to aircraft hijacking will be tested during live drills dubbed “Vigilant Skies”, on September 23-27, the council said in a statement posted on its website earlier this month. The first part of the drills envisions the following scenario: a simulated ‘renegade’ civilian aircraft will take off in Poland and move in the direction of Russia’s westernmost exclave of Kaliningrad. Air traffic controllers in Warsaw and Moscow will jointly use the CAI system to identify the plane as a potential source of threat and send Russian and Polish fighters to intercept and escort the ‘renegade’ plane back to the airfield. The exercises’ second part will be held over the Black Sea. Turkish and Russian air traffic controllers and fighter jets will be engaged in joint work to identify, intercept and escort the renegade aircraft, and neutralize the potential threat from such a situation to population centers, the NRC’s statement said. The CAI covers three NRC regions: the geographic spaces between Norway and Russia, Poland and Russia, and between Turkey and Russia, with two central coordination centers located in Moscow and Warsaw. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |