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发帖数: 690 | 1 From MSN:
In an attempt to promote transparency in military activities between the two
countries, Russia will conduct an observation flight over the United States
as part of the Treaty on Open Skies between Dec. 8 and Dec. 13, Sergei
Ryzhkov, head of Russia’s National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, said
Monday.
The flight will be launched from Travis Air Force Base in California and
cover a maximum range of 2,640 miles. A group of U.S. specialists will also
board the Russian aircraft to monitor the flight and to ensure that norms of
the treaty are not violated. According to the U.S. Department of State, the
Treaty on Open Skies allows 34 participating countries to carry out
observation flights over each other's territories to gather information
through aerial imaging on military forces and activities that are of concern
to them.
“Within the framework of the international Treaty on Open Skies a group of
Russian inspectors plans to conduct an observation flight on a Russian
Tupolev Tu-154M-LK-1 observation aircraft over the territory of the United
States,” Ryzhkov told Ria Novosti.
The announcement comes after a U.S. military plane reportedly conducted
surveillance flights over Russia last month to capture images of the region
’s military equipment. The mission was conducted amid increasing isolation
faced by Russia following sanctions imposed against it by the U.S. and
European Union over the Ukraine crisis.
“Most of the world has no idea this treaty even exists,” U.S. Navy
Commander Chris “Half” Nelson, who was overseeing the mission over Russia
at the time, was quoted by Military.com as saying. “Whenever I mention that
Russians fly aircraft over the U.S. taking pictures, it blows people's
minds.”
Signed in March 1992 in Helsinki, the Treaty on Open Skies came into force
on Jan. 1, 2002. Russia ratified the treaty on May 26, 2001. |
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