RF-PRC joint anti-terror exercises to draw to a close Sun

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BAICHENG, China, July 26 (Itar-Tass) - The third and concluding phase
of the Peace Mission-2009 joint anti-terrorist exercises of the Russian
Federation (RF) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) began at the
Taonan military range near the city of Baicheng in northeastern China on
Sunday.
Lieutenant-General Sergei Antonov, chief of the exercises supervision
staff on the Russian side, and Deputy Chief of the Main Headquarters of
the RF Land Forces, has told journalists, "The substance of this phase of
the exercises will be an anti-terrorist operation to be carriedout by the
Combined group of troops of Russia and China".
Antonov said, "The troops of both sides will operate in full
complement with the use of full ammunition supply". He added that Russian
troops would use up all the ammunition available with them. "We shall not
bring a single artillery or mortar shell back to Russia," Antonov pointed
out.
The concluding phase of the exercises will involve all armed services
and arms of troops. An assault landing company at a strength of 54 will be
landed by a Russian military transportation plane Il-76. One unit of the
company will be also landed from a Mi-8 helicopter in an assault manner
-- during the helicopter's flight at a superlow altitude at a low speed.
General Antonov said that over the past 48 hours the exercises
supervision staff had been busy planning out an anti-terrorist operation,
drilling interaction by means of terrain mockup, checking the preparedness
of troops, and readying combat hardware for action.
The Commanders of the Combined group of troops from both sides --
Lieutenant-General Anatoly Sidorov, Deputy Commander of the troops of the
RF Far Eastern Federal Military District (FEMD), and Lieutenant-General
Shi-Xiangyuan, Deputy Commander of the troops of Shenyang Military
District (SMD), signed a plan for an anti-terrorist operatio. Their
decision to hold such an operation was endorsed by the exercises
supervisors from both sides -- Lieutenant-General Alexander Studenikin,
Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the RF Land Forces, and Colonel-General Ma
Xiaotian, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation
Army of China.
The joint exercises are involving on both sides about 3,000
servicemen, over 300 ground combat vehicles, and more than 40 aircraft and
helicopters.
At the close of the anti-terrorist operation, a parade of troops will
be held with a fly-oast of the aicraft of Russia and China. A joint
concert of the FEMD and SMD song-and-dance ensembles will be given for the
soldiers and officers of the two armies in the evening.

.Offroad vehicle drivers flock to Altai for all-Russia festival.

BARNAUL, July 26 (Itar-Tass) - Cross-country riding enthusaists from
all over Russia -- from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok -- have gathered in the
Altai mountains on Sunday for the 4th all-Russia festival of offroad
vehicles. The festival is held at the foot of Aktru Glacier, festivalr
organisers have told Itar-Tass.
Alexander Chernyuk, President of the Altai Off Road Club, who is in
charge of the holding of the festival, said the festival every year draws
about 200 vehicles. However, this timie, "owing to an economic downturn,
more than 100 participants have been able to come". All the jeepers, as
they call themselves, have got to the Altai on their own. There are also
participants from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. "This will be a large
gathering of friends and like-minded people," Chernyuk said.
For over a week, until August 2, the jeepers will be sharing
experience and impressions, and, of course, competing. Festival organisers
promise to arrange several competitive events in sprint and a grand trophy
ride in the mountains, across ravines and marshy ground of Altai.
The first All-Russia festival of offroad car drivers was held at Lake
Baikal in 2006. Afterwards, the Altai Republic played host to jeepers
twice.
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