MOSCOW, October 19 (RIA Novosti) - Aviation experts from the United States and Canada will conduct a joint observation flight over Russia in the end of October, within the framework of the Treaty on Open Skies, Sergei Zabello, the acting head of the Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, told journalists on Sunday.
“In the period between October 20 and October 25, within the framework of the Treaty on Open Skies implementation, the joint mission from the United States and Canada will conduct an observation flight above the territory of the Russian Federation in an American observation aircraft OC-235B,” Zabello said.
During the flight, Russian expects on board will control with the strict compliance to the agreed flight parameters, and the usage of accepted observational equipment.
The Boeing OC-135B Open Skies aircraft is designed to carry out unarmed flights.
The Treaty on Open Skies was signed by 27 member-states of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), in 1992 in Helsinki. The treaty is designed to enhance mutual understanding by allowing unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the territories of its 34 current member states. Russia signed the treaty on May 26, 2001.
