"During the period from October 5 to 10, a joint mission from the United States and the United Kingdom will conduct an observation flight over the Russian territory under the Open Skies Treaty on the American observation aircraft OC-135B, from the airport at Novosibirsk [Tolmachevo]," Sergei Ryzhkov said as quoted in the statement published on the Russian Defense Ministry's website.
Russian experts will take part in the flyover to monitor the mission's strict adherence to flight parameters and the use of stipulated observation equipment, Ryzhkov added.
According to the statement, the OC-135B Open Skies United States Air Force observation aircraft belongs to a class of aircraft not intended for the use of weapons. The aircraft and its equipment have passed the international certification in which the Russian specialists participated.
The Open Skies Treaty was signed in March 1992 and became one of the major confidence-building measures in Europe after the Cold War. It entered into force on January 1, 2002, and currently has 34 States Parties, including the majority of the NATO countries, as well as Russia.
The treaty allows participating countries to openly gather information on each other's military forces and activities.
