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US, Russia to Conduct First-Ever Joint Air Force Maneuvers

   VOA News 03 August 2010

   U.S.  military  officials  say  elements of the Russian Air Force will
   join  U.S.  and Canadian air units in the first-ever joint air defense
   exercises between the former Cold War foes.
   A  statement from the North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD,
   says  the  maneuvers -- set to begin August 8 -- will include training
   to detect and combat terrorist attacks on commercial airliners. Â
   The  exercises,  code-named Vigilant Eagle, will be coordinated from a
   U.S.  military command center at Elmendorf air base in (the U.S. state
   of)  Alaska  and  Russian  facilities  near  the  Far  Eastern city of
   Khabarovsk.
   A  Russian  Air  Force  spokesman  (Lieutenant-Colonel  Vladimir Drik)
   described  the  exercises  as  part  of  a  working  plan  to  improve
   cooperation between Russian and U.S. forces.
   A NORAD statement said the maneuvers will require both the Russian and
   NORAD  bases  to  launch  or  divert fighter planes to investigate and
   shadow commercial aircraft.

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