Russia’s Central Military District (CMD) announced on Thursday that the country’s armed forces have conducted combat readiness exercises in new geographic areas.
The drills were held in the regions of Samara, Saratov, Sverdlovsk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, and Krasnoyarsk. Similar exercises were also conducted in the Republic of Khakassia.
According to the CMD press office, more than 300 pieces of military hardware and around 1,000 personnel participated in the exercise, including combat teams and officers of the air force and air defense army.
“The personnel of air defense units and formations stationed on the territory of seven Russian regions conducted marches to new positioning areas of their combat alert, equipped basic, reserve and dummy combat positions,” the press office told state-controlled TASS.
One highlight of the exercise was the deployment of the S-300 “Favorit” and S-400 “Triumf” air defense systems. Both systems demonstrated facility and territorial defense against air attacks.
S-300 and S-400
The S-300 is a family of Russian-made surface-to-air missile systems that can engage aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. It is designed to defend vital facilities and military personnel against airstrikes.
In service for more than four decades, the system has over 20 missile variants. One version can hit targets up to 25 to 150 kilometers (15 to 93 miles) away. It is currently used by Algeria, Armenia, China, Greece, India, Iran, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam.
The S-400 air defense missile system is an upgraded version of the S-300 developed by Almaz Central Design Bureau of Russia.
The system is equipped with a multifunction radar, autonomous detection and targeting systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers, and a command and control center. It can engage aerial targets within a range of 400 kilometers (248 miles) at an altitude of up to 30 kilometers (18 miles).
Combat Readiness Check
Earlier this year, the Russian Defense Ministry revealed that the country has started conducting routine control checks. Troops are prepared through tactical, tactical-special, and bilateral exercises.
The country also held “snap combat readiness” exercises involving troops from its western and southern military districts. The drills tested military readiness to protect Russia’s southeast against terrorist threats.
More than 140,000 personnel, 26,000 pieces of heavy equipment, 414 aircraft, and 106 warships and support vessels participated.