Monitoring Desk: Military personnel from eight countries will take part in the Center-2019 (Tsentr-2019) strategic Military exercises, which will be held from September 16 to 21, reports Russian News Agency TASS.
All the countries participating are member states of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as China, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are contributing while Russia is hosting exercises.
According to the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Russian Ministry of Defense, The Center-2019 exercises will be held in two stages. At the first, the military control bodies of the Central Military District should prepare the troops to repel the aggression of illegal armed groups (Terrorists). On the second – a “massive fire strike” will be inflicted on the conditional enemy. After that, Russian troops and allied units will go on the offensive.
According to available information, a number of tasks will be carried out in the Arctic. In particular, military personnel will experience military equipment specially designed for combat duty in the climatic conditions of the Arctic. The gas turbine T-80BV tank and several all-terrain vehicles will be tested.
Russian News Agency TASS reported that 12,950 people (of which up to 10,700 are the Russian military and up to 2,250 are the military personnel of foreign countries), up to 250 tanks, up to 450 armored infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, and up to 200 artillery systems and multiple artillery rocket systems will be employed in practical operations of the military forces in Donguz, Totsky and Adanak training ranges in the European part of the Russian Federation.
The chief of the General Staff, Army General Valery Gerasimov, was appointed the head of the exercises. The maneuvers involve the troops of the Russian Central and Eastern military districts, the Caspian flotilla, the airborne troops and the aerospace forces, as well as representatives of China, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The main actions will take place at Russian sites Totsky, Donguz, Adanak, Chebarkulsky, Yurginsky, Aleisky, Ashuluk and Safakulevo. Separate plans will work out the fight against militants at the training grounds of partner countries.
According to experts, the Center-2019 maneuvers are aimed at checking the operational and combat readiness of the Russian army and do not threaten foreign states.
The active phase of the exercises will be held from September 16 to 21. 128 thousand troops, more than 20 thousand units of military equipment, about 600 aircraft and up to 15 ships will be involved in maneuvers.
The base of the grouping will be the troops of the Central Military District (CVO), including the 2nd Guards Combined Arms Army. In addition, units of other military districts will be involved in the exercises. For example, engineering units of the Western Military District (ZVO) will take part in Center 2019. They will be transferred to the Central Military District for equipment across the Volga “the longest ferry and pontoon service in Russia.”
Ships of the Caspian flotilla will be involved in the exercises. They will facilitate land units, defense of communications and areas of maritime economic activity.
