The first phase of the Vigilant Eagle exercise completed

KHABAROVSK, August 11 (Itar-Tass) - Russian and U.S. fighter jets,
refueling aircraft and civilian air traffic control services are taking
part in the first ever Russia-U.S anti-terror exercise, nicknamed the
Vigilant Eagle.
One of the headquarters of the exercise is located in Khabarovsk; the
other is at the Elmendorf Air Force Base in the U.S. State of Alaska.
"Representatives of the military agencies of both countries will give
a press conference late on Wednesday. They will sum up the preliminary
results of the exercises and answer journalists' questions," a source at
the Far Eastern air force and air defense formation told Itar-Tass. He
said that the final phase of the first stage of exercises was under way.
Maneuvers over the northern part of the Pacific involve NATO fighter jets,
Russian A-50 reconnaissance planes, American AWACS aircraft and refueling
aircraft from both countries.
According to the scenario, cooperative actions of combat units dealing
with acts of terrorism were simulated. Notional terrorists hijacked a
plane with 10 passengers onboard. It took off from an airport in the
United States, cut off all radio contacts with the ground and demanded
that the plane land in the Far East. The pilots managed to send a signal
to the ground that terrorists had hi-jacked the plane.
The F-22 Raptor fighter jets took off to detect it. Then, the
monitoring of the hi-jacked aircraft was handed over to Russian MiG and
Su-27 planes.
The event is authorized under a cooperative military agreement between
the Russian and US presidents.

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