US Inspectors To Conduct Surveillance Flight Over Russia

Inspectors from the United States will conduct an inspection flight over Russia under the Open Skies Treaty starting on Monday, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said.

“In the period from November 26 to November 30, as part of the international Open Skies Treaty, US representatives will conduct a surveillance flight on board a US [Boeing] OC-135B observation aircraft over the territory of the Russian Federation,” the spokesman said.

The flight will be made along the route coordinated earlier with Russian specialists, who will be on board of the aircraft monitoring implementation of agreements on the use of technical equipment for the observation, he said.

The Open Skies Treaty, signed in 1992 on an initiative of U.S. President George H.W. Bush, established a regime of unarmed aerial observation flights over the territories of its member states to promote openness and transparency of military forces and activities.

The treaty entered into force on January 1, 2002 and its regime covers the national territories (land, islands, internal and territorial waters) of all 34 treaty signatory states. It is an important element of the European security structure.