Russia, India armed forces to drill combat missions.

15/10 Tass 118

NEW DELHI, October 15 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian and Indian armed forces
will drill combat missions in an anti-terrorist operation during joint
military exercises Indra-2010 that begin in the highlands of the
Uttarakhand state in north-eastern India on Friday.
The Russian contingent of 280 servicemen from the motorized rifle
brigade of the southern military district were airlifted by two military
transport airplanes Il-76 from the Karachai-Cherkessia Republic to the
Indian airbase Bareilly on Friday. "Our servicemen flied over 5,000
kilometers from the permanent deployment base (in Karachai-Cherkessia) to
the drill area," Russian senior assistant military attache in India Valery
Zavyalov said. Russian officers and soldiers were airlifted to India with
a delay of five hours. They are passing the passport and customs
controls, after that they will be brought in vehicles to the drill area -
the settlement Chaubattia, where the 99th mountain infantry brigade of the
Indian Ground Troops is deployed.
Russian servicemen arrived in India with their service firearms -
submachine guns AK-74M, hand grenade launchers RPG-7, Dragunov sniper
rifles, special submachine guns AS Val and machine guns PKM. Under the
scenario of the military exercises Russian servicemen are equipped with
new combat kits Permyachka, which provide for the all-round ballistic
protection of at least 80% of body from bullets and fragments, as well as
the skin protection from a brief impact of the open fire. About 20 objects
for masking are also included in the Permyachka combat kit along with
bullet proof life vests.
Russian mountain riflemen will familiarize with the drill area and the
drill scenario on Friday. The military exercises will open at a solemn
ceremony on Saturday. On this day servicemen from Russia and India will
show their skills with weapons and ammunition and will hold live fire
drills. Russian servicemen will shoot from Indian firearms, and Indian
servicemen from Russian firearms. After that a joint headquarters of the
united tactical group will be formed.
Russia and India have launched preparations to the joint war games
back in May. Then a Russian military delegation visited the base of the
99th mountain infantry brigade of the Indian Ground Troops and got
acquainted with the combat training and the daily life of Indian soldiers.
In July Indian servicemen visited Russia to agree on organizational events
for the military exercises.
India and Russia have been holding the military exercises Indra since
2003. The drill already became traditional for the armed forces of the
countries and contributes to the development and strengthening of
Russian-Indian strategic cooperation. The military exercises were
codenamed after a powerful Indian god Indra the Thunder-bearer. The
current military exercises are already the fifth ones.
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