Russia, Tajikistan Sign Agreement on Unified Regional Air Defense System

Russia and Tajikistan today signed an agreement to set up a unified regional air defense system.

The Ministers of Defense of Tajikistan Sherali Mirzo and Russia Sergei Shoigu signed the agreement on the sidelines of the meeting of Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Dushanbe.

Earlier, the issues of creating a unified aerospace defense system of the CIS countries were discussed in Dushanbe at a meeting of the Coordinating Committee on Air Defense Issues under the Council of Defense Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member states, Interfax reported.

The concept unified air defense system of the CIS (former Soviet Union) was created on the basis of an agreement between 10 countries of the Commonwealth, signed on February 10, 1995 in Alma-Ata. The agreement is open for accession by CIS countries such as Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The unified air defense system of the CIS include about 20 aviation units, over 50 units of anti-aircraft missile and radio-technical troops, about 10 air defense brigades. Also, some elements of electronic warfare systems are included in the unified air defense system of the CIS.