Kazakhstan to host CSTO's next military exercise in 2014

OSIPOVICHI. September 26. KAZINFORM The next exercise of the Collective Rapid Response Forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization will take place in Kazakhstan in 2014. The information was released by Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, First Deputy Defense Minister of Russia, Army General Valery Gerasimov on 25 September, BelTA has learned.

According to the source, among other things the exercise will practice the aspects that may have dropped below radar in the past, primarily the formation of a Collective Rapid Response Forces contingent and its relocation to the operations area.

The First Deputy Defense Minister of Russia added that operative responses to the threats that any CSTO member state may face are practiced during exercises like Interaction 2013.

Summing up results of the CSTO exercise Interaction 2013, the Army General noted that the exercise proved cohesiveness of the Collective Rapid Response Forces. All the missions were successfully accomplished, said Valery Gerasimov.

The active phase of the CSTO Collective Rapid Response Forces exercise Interaction 2013 ended at the Belarusian army firing range Osipovichsky on 25 September.

During the exercise the Collective Rapid Response Forces planned and carried out an operation in the designated responsibility area, BelTA reports.

Units of the CSTO Collective Rapid Response Forces carried out missions at the military airfield Bobruisk and the firing range Osipovichsky. The troops had to unblock the airfield, storm a building and free hostages. The troops also safeguarded important government installations, carried out recon missions, searched for illegal armed units, arranged and carried out ambushes.

The exercise involved over 600 personnel as well as about 60 combat vehicles and special ones in addition to up to 15 aircraft.