Joint anti-terrorist exercise to begin in Kazakhstan.

ASTANA, September 9 (Itar-Tass) -- The Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO) member states will hold a joint anti-terrorist exercise
code-named Peace Mission 2010 in Kazakhstan on Thursday, September 9.
"This year's exercise involves more than 3,000 military personnel from
Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan," the Kazakh Defence
Ministry said.
Kazakhstan will contribute 1,000 troops, 120 tanks, 30 armoured
personnel carriers, armoured fighting vehicles, planes, and helicopters.
China will send 1,000 Army and Air Force personnel, and a logistical
group.
A thousand servicemen will represent Russia. They will use 130 pieces
of military hardware, 1000 vehicles, planes, and helicopters.
This is the seventh SCO anti-terrorist exercise. Its purpose is to
practice interoperability in "responding to terrorist emergencies in the
region."
The exercise will be held in three stages. The first one will involve
consultations in Almaty. The second stage will focus on the preparation of
a joint anti-terrorist operation, and the third one will actually be the
operation itself. The last two stages will be held at the Matybulak
training range in the Zhambyl region.
"The active stage of the exercise will take place on September 24. The
defence ministers of the SCO member states will arrive at the Matybulak
training range to watch the 'joint anti-terrorist operation'," the Defence
Ministry said.
In June of this year, Kazakhstan took over the SCO presidency. Experts
say it is symbolic that such a major exercise involving all of the SCO
states is taking place in Kazakhstan.
The last SCO Peace Mission anti-terrorist exercise was held at the
Chebarkul training range in Russia's Chelyabinsk region in 2007.
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