MOSCOW, August 24 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian military delegation has left for the United States Saturday to take part in a US-Canadian-Russian air-defense exercise, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The live-fly exercise Vigilant Eagle 2013 will take place from August 26 through 30.
It will be the third cooperative air defense exercise between the Russian Air Force and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). It involves Russian, US and Canadian Air Force personnel operating from command centers in Russia and the United States.
The exercise scenario involves simulated seizure by terrorists of a foreign flagged commercial air carrier requiring both the Russian Air Force and NORAD to launch fighter aircraft to investigate and follow the aircraft, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The exercise will focus on the cooperative hand-off of the aircraft between fighter aircraft of the participating nations, NORAD said in a press release.
“These exercises continue to foster the development of cooperation between the Russian Federation Air Force and NORAD in preventing possible threats of air terrorism,” NORAD said.
