Military Committee intends to develop CSTO Collective Aviation Forces

The 19th session of the CSTO Military Committee on the Development of Military Cooperation between the CSTO Member States held remotely on December 8, 2021 addressed the development of the Collective Aviation Forces and organization of air cover for the units of the coalition forces (Collective Forces) of the CSTO when deployed and used in the collective security regions. This was reported by the press service of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
The meeting was chaired by Army General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and first deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation. The meeting participants included chiefs of staff of the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Republic of Tajikistan; Colonel General Anatoly Sidorov, Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff; and Takhir Khairuloev, deputy CSTO Secretary General.
The meeting addressed challenges and threats to military security in Eastern European, Caucasus and Central Asian regions of collective security; further development of the Collective Air Forces and organization of air cover for the units of the coalition troops during their deployment and use in regions of collective security.
It identified areas for further improvement of military infrastructure facilities in the Republic of Tajikistan for the deployment of coalition units of the CSTO Collective Forces.
The Armenian side informed the members of the Military Committee about the priority areas for the CSTO in the military sphere proposed by the Republic of Armenia for its presidency in the Organization in 2022.
Colonel General Anatoly Sidorov, Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, reported on the inclusion of the CSTO peacekeeping capacities in the UN peacekeeping efforts.
He mentioned that a working group of representatives of the Secretariat, the CSTO Joint Staff and UN Department of Peace Operations is in Lebanon to study practical experience of peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the UN, and noted that the procedure for training military observers and staff officers for participation in peacekeeping operations has been defined.
According to Army General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and first deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, “a thorough exchange of views on the state of military and political situation in the regions of collective security has taken place. Joint staffs of the armed forces of the CSTO Member States confirmed their common understanding of the nature of challenges and threats to military security. We agreed to coordinate joint actions to neutralize them and improve the CSTO military potential.”
Chairman of the CSTO Military Committee noted, “CSTO’s military priorities for the duration of Armenian presidency in the Organization next year have been reviewed, and instructions for their implementation have been given.”
He also noted that the parties discussed the results of the joint training with the CSTO Collective Rapid Deployment Forces Vzaimodeistvie 2021. Effectiveness of management of this component of the Organization’s Collective Forces was decided to be increased. According to the Chairman of the CSTO Military Committee, “the objectives of the Military Committee sessions have been achieved and the results will contribute to strengthening the system of collective security and maintaining regional stability.”