Chinese and Russian troops launched a forced isolation drill in east China's Shandong Province on Thursday, the last item of the joint military exercise dubbed "Peace Mission 2005."

 

 

At 11:00AM, two Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers flew near the drill zone after having flown two and a half hours from Russia, which started the forced isolation drill.

 

An A-50 early warning plane took off to establish the airborne early warning system. Other segments of the troops also went into operation.

 

At 11:07AM, four Tu-22M3 Russian long-range bombers from Russia also entered the drill zone and launched continuous attacks on the airport of the "enemy troops."

 

Immediately after that, the airborne formation sent 18 fighter jets in nine batches to attack the enemy troops, commanding posts and defense works.

 

At 11:17AM, artillery fire bombarded frontline defense works and other targets in the depths of enemy territory. Meanwhile, bombs carrying propaganda materials were fired into the enemy area.

 

At 11:26AM, a formation of 10 IL-76 transport planes carrying Chinese and Russian paratroops arrived at the airspace of the combat zone covered by electronic-jamming planes and fighter jets.

 

At 11:38AM, the transport planes dropped combat vehicles for the paratroops and in less than 10 minutes, 24 combat vehicles had been dropped. After that, 86 Chinese and Russian paratroops rappelled to the ground from a height of 800 meters.

 

The paratroops quickly gathered around the fighting vehicles and got ready to attack pre-set targets. They captured the airport, cutting off the enemy's air links.

 

At 11:53AM, a transport helicopter arrived at the dropping zone on the right of the enemy region under the cover of air fire and let out troops, who immediately attacked pre-set targets to cut off the enemy's link to the sea.

 

The Sino-Russian joint forces then sent in their rangers to attack the defense line of the enemy under fire cover.

 

At 12:15PM, scores of armored vehicles from the southeast and southwest rumbled into the area.

 

 

 

 

Chinese defense minister Cao Gangchuan and his Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov were at the drill zone to observe and issue instructions.

 

Other observers included Kyrgyz Defense Minister Ismail Isakov, Tajik Defense Minister Sherali Khairullaev, Kazakh Deputy Defense Minister Abai Tasbulatov and Uzbekistan Deputy Defense Minister R.Niyazov.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 26, 2005)