Russia holds Center-2019 International Command Exercise

Russia is holding its annual Center-2019 International Command Exercise involving six other nations from 16 to 21 September 2019. Center-2019 is an annual strategic and operational military exercises which aren’t aimed at any third-party country rather focus on counterterrorist operations and is purely defensive in nature.

About Center-2019 International Command Exercise

Exercise Objectives:

  • To demonstrate readiness of Armed Forces of Russian Federation and the states of Central Asia region to protect national interests
  • To increase level of interaction and compatibility of participants in solving joint tasks to protect interests, preserve peace and ensure security in region.
  • To train troops for conducting military operations in modern conditions
  • To improve interoperability of military command and control units of armed forces of Russia and allied States

Military Forces from India, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan will join Russia’s Central Joint Strategic Command (JSC) for military exercises.

Some parts of military drills will be held outside Russia in member countries of Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) such as Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The annual exercises rotate and this year’s mainly focus on Central Joint Strategic Command (JSC). The other JSCs are East, West, and Caucasus.

The 2019 exercise will be the biggest encompassing nearly 128,000 personnel, 20,000 pieces of equipment and weapons, 600 aircraft and helicopters, and 15 warships.

Background

Ever since Russia started reconstructing its military in 2008, the Central Joint Strategic Command (JSC) has held two exercises- in 2011 and 2015. In the 2015 exercises, nearly 95,000 personnel took part and they were used as a preparation for Russian operations in Syria.


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