Article Posted on : - Apr 19, 2010

MOSCOW (BNS): Russian Air Force�s S-300 surface-to-air missiles have demonstrated their maneuverability during an exercise held at the Astrakhan region in north-west Russia.

The anti-aircraft systems �defeated� within minutes a number of ballistic and cruise missiles in simulated air strikes at the Ashuluk range, RIA Novosti reported.

The military drill, called �air-fire exercise�, involved the Russian Air Force�s Kola Peninsula air-defence unit which demonstrated the prowess of its S-300 anti-aircraft missiles. A total of 23 missiles were fired to intercept 10 dummy rockets.

In this year�s exercise, the number of targets for combat units was considerably increased while the time given for hitting of each target was only two minutes. Also the number of regiments that took part in the firing drill doubled.

According to Major-General Sergei Popov, the Defense Air Force Chief of Russian Armed Forces, the new changes were due to the fact that in 2009, all air defense units of Russian Air Force were brought into a state of permanent combat readiness.

The exercise was witnessed by personnel from the air defence forces of Kazakhstan and Belarus, the report said.