Former Warsaw Pact Countries to Conduct Joint Air Defense Drill

via Global Security.org:

MOSCOW, April 24 (RIA Novosti) – A group of former Soviet republics will conduct air-defense exercises as part of an integrated air-defense system, a senior air force official said Monday.

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“The exercise will focus on how to improve CIS airspace, including through intercepting an aircraft that has violated the airspace, escorting away a plane that has lost its way and dealing with a plane hijacked by terrorists,” he said

The CIS Integrated Air Defense System comprises Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine. Georgia recently pulled out of the CIS Defense Ministers Council, but is still formally part of the air-defense system.

Combine this with a Russian ADA sale to Iran, and increased Russian opposition to US strikes, are we seeing the beginnings of a “hard” deterrent to NATO air strikes? Perhaps Russia has learned from its last go-round at the UN that its “soft” paper opposition will not stop an America determined to go to war. If Russia really wants to deter the US from attacking Iran, beefing up area ADA and IADS would be the best way to convey the message of “hey- we’re serious! Don’t bomb Iran!” This drill may be a wake-up call to NATO air commanders, but I would be especially worried if this exercise is going to “observed” by any Iranian “advisors.”

Lieutenant General Aitech Bizhev, deputy commander of the Russian Air Force, said the exercises would start April 25 as part of the joint event program of the Integrated Air Defense System of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

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Bizhev said air force and air defense units from eight CIS-member states – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan – would conduct training involving over 80 tactical and strategic aircraft and helicopters, as well as other high-tech equipment….