Exercise ‘Tsentr’ is an annual showcase of Russian military power, pulling together regional allies for a comprehensive series of war games.
THE RUSSIAN MILITARY’S largest exercise of the year took place over five days from September 16-20. Exercise ‘Tsentr’ (‘Center’) was conducted under the leadership of Gen Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staffand first deputy minister of defense. The scale of the exercise means that it serves as an annual demonstration of military readiness in Russia, and it specifically revolves around strategic command and control including six combined-arms ranges in the Central and Southern Military Districts of Russia, as well as the Caspian Sea and neighboring states.
Alongside Russian forces, other participants included units from China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and India, mainly involving ground troops. In total, 128,000 personnel and around 600 aircraft were involved, with a heavy emphasis on elements of the Eastern Military District, plus Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) Long-Range Aviation and a variety of tactical units.
Air assets
Various VKS aircraft played key roles in ‘Tsentr’, with a distinct air-to-ground emphasis. This bro…
