On September 15, Colonel General Anatoly Sidorov, Head of the CSTO Joint Staff, will give a briefing on the readiness of command and control bodies and formations of forces and means of the CSTO collective security system for joint trainings

briefing by Colonel General Anatoly A. Sidorov, Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, on the readiness of the command bodies and formations of the CSTO collective security forces and equipment to conduct joint trainings.

The CSTO Chief of the Joint Staff briefed on the range of activities planned in the framework of joint operational and combat training, the goals and objectives of the activities, forces and resources involved, as well as the main features of joint exercises of the CSTO Troops (Collective Forces) in 2022.

Representatives of defense agencies and accredited media from the CSTO member states (Yerevan, Minsk, Nur-Sultan, Bishkek and Dushanbe) took part in the briefing via videoconferencing.

The information on the speech by the Chief of the Joint Staff of the Collective Security Treaty Organization is presented below.

Training of armed forces of CSTO member states in 2022 was carried out in accordance with national plans, plans for joint training on the basis of bilateral and multilateral international treaties.

As you know, subunits of armed forces of the member states of the Organization participated in VIII Army International Games "ARMYA-2022", International Military-Technical Forum "ARMYA-2022", strategic command post trainings "Vostok-2022".

A series of command-staff and special trainings with CSTO Troops (Collective Forces) will continue joint activities of the armed forces of the CSTO member states.

Command and staff and special trainings of CSTO Troops (Collective Forces) are aimed at ensuring preparation for countering external challenges and threats to the CSTO member states and are conducted in the interests of preparing for joint actions to localize armed conflicts, counter international terrorist and religious extremist organizations, as well as for the maintenance of international peace and security.

This year the main activities of joint training of command and control bodies and formations of Troops (Collective Forces) of the CSTO are planned in the Central Asian region of collective security. The tasks will be practiced in a specially created military-political training environment: against the background of conditional aggravation of the struggle between the main centers of power for the spread of their influence on the states of Central Asia, the increase of tension and instability in the region of collective security.

The main efforts during the joint trainings will be aimed at practicing the issues of countering emerging threats to the CSTO member states.

The main tasks of this year's joint operational and combat training are:

• Improving the composition of the CSTO Troops (Collective Forces), the organization of their management and comprehensive support of the groups being created;
• Development of the CSTO crisis response system;
• Improving the practical skills of government officials in commanding CSTO Troops (Collective Forces) and enhancing the coordination of collective security system formations in the conduct of joint (special, peacekeeping) operations in the Central Asian region;
• conducting research on the most topical issues of development and use of forces and means of the CSTO collective security system.

Within the framework of joint training, a set of activities is planned:

Strategic command and staff training under the leadership of the CSTO Chief of Joint Staff. In the course of the training, the main efforts will be focused on improving the algorithm for the work of the CSTO CRC and increasing the effectiveness of interaction with the governing bodies of the CSTO member states. The outcome of work during the strategic command and staff training will be elaboration of a set of documents, decisions of bodies of the organization on formation and deployment of forces and means of collective security system in the Central Asian region of collective security.

During the training, we plan to test specially created software for Crisis Response Center, which by times reduces the work time of functional groups and increases the operational efficiency of the CRC as a whole in order to prepare draft decisions of statutory bodies on crisis situations.

In addition, this year we plan to hold one joint, two command-staff and two special trainings in the territory of the republics of the Central Asian region, combining the training of various components of the CSTO Troops (Collective Forces).

A special training with reconnaissance forces "Search-2022", in the course of which the following issues will be practiced:

• intelligence planning in the aggravated military and political situation in the CSTO Central Asian region of collective security;
• organization and conduct of various types of reconnaissance in the interests of application of the CSTO CRDF during localization of the armed conflict along the border.

There are practical plans to work out the elements of deployment of reconnaissance forces and facilities of the CSTO member states and to train reconnaissance bodies to carry out tasks for the intended purpose in the interests of the joint operation of the CSTO CRDF.

In the course of practical operations, a combined reconnaissance unit will be parachuted in, reconnaissance and pointing of attack complexes using modern optronic systems and unmanned aerial vehicles, and the tasks of controlling the firing of targets will be practiced.

In the course of a special training with the forces and means of logistical support of the CSTO Troops (Collective Forces) "Echelon-2022" the issues of organization of logistical support, management of logistics units of the CSTO CRDF, replenishment of materiel and restoration of the military and technical equipment of the CSTO CRDF group during the joint operation will be worked out in an integrated manner.

Practical actions of the CSTO troops (Collective Forces) will be carried out in difficult desert-steppe and mountainous terrain.

Command and staff training with the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces "Interaction-2022" with practicing tasks on the use of forces and means of the CSTO collective security system in order to resolve the crisis situation in the CSTO Central Asian region of collective security.

In the course of practical actions, training issues and joint tactical tasks will be practiced:

• defeating the enemy with the use of reconnaissance and reconnaissance-fire contour;
• conducting special activities to eliminate an illegal armed formation in a populated area;
• actions of anti-drug units of the internal affairs bodies of the formations of special forces to suppress the channel for the supply of narcotic drugs;
• performance of measures to eliminate the consequences of chemical and biological contamination and search and rescue operations with the use of canine units in the interests of units of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

For the first time, the training concept includes the application of the new joint formation of the CSTO radiation and chemical protection and medical support.

At the training range "Matybulak" the tasks will be practiced on:

• deployment of the formation in a designated area, conducting radiation, chemical and biological reconnaissance with determining the scale and predicting the consequences of biological contamination;
• informing the military administrative bodies and local authorities about the aggravation of the epidemic situation and the occurrence of contamination
• conducting a set of disinfection measures and providing specialized medical care in a field hospital.

The series of trainings will continue with the "Indestructible Brotherhood-2022" command-staff training with the CSTO Peacekeeping Forces on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic.

It is planned to work out the tasks of post-conflict settlement in the crisis zone by conducting a peacekeeping operation using forces and means of the CSTO collective security system in the interests of maintaining international peace and security, as well as assistance in the provision of humanitarian aid.

The idea of the training is to work on training issues regarding the occupation of the area of responsibility by the CSTO peacekeeping contingent, the resolution of issues of delineation of the conflicting sides, the provision of a ceasefire regime and a post-conflict settlement.

It is planned to invite observers from Uzbekistan, the Republic of Serbia, the Syrian Arab Republic, Turkmenistan and Mongolia to the training.

At the final stage of joint training in the Republic of Tajikistan, a joint training is planned with units from the Central African Republic's Central Intelligence and Security Service "Rubezh-2022" to practice the use of forces and means of the CSTO collective security system to counter international terrorist organizations.

Units from the armed forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tajikistan are involved in the training. Units of the Central Asian region's Collective Rapid Deployment Forces will carry out special tasks to eliminate illegal armed formations in mountainous terrain, liberate captured objects, and conduct combat and special actions to restore a section of the State border.

In the course of the exercise, it is planned to conduct a whole range of studies, including the organization of air cover for military contingents during their operational deployment, the organization of command, interaction and comprehensive support of the CSTO collective air force, and the use of a joint radiation, chemical and biological defence and medical support unit.

In the course of the training, it is planned to conduct a whole range of studies, including the organization of air cover for military contingents during their operational deployment, the organization of command, interaction and comprehensive support of the CSTO collective air force, and the use of a joint radiation, chemical and biological protection and medical support unit.

As part of improving information interaction within the Organization, before and during the forthcoming joint trainings, a set of joint trainings was planned using the resources of the CSTO Crisis Response Centre, which will make it possible to practice the main stages of the crisis response mechanism.

In total, up to 10,000 personnel and up to 2,500 units of armaments and military equipment will be involved in the joint and special trainings.

In the course of preparations, consultations were held with the defense departments and interested ministries and departments of the CSTO member States, working meetings were held to develop the concepts for the trainings, a set of staff talks and reconnaissance of the training areas and locations for practical operations.

Prior to the start of the training, joint staff training sessions will be held to practice the use of the command structures and formations of the forces and means of the CSTO collective security system. Practical arrangements for the deployment of the troops (forces) to the areas where the trainings will take place will begin on 23 September. Contingents and equipment will be transported to the training grounds by air, rail and road.

We can say with confidence that the training will be conducted in an organized and high-quality manner, the training and research goals will be achieved, and the personnel of the units and subunits of the CSTO Troops (Collective Forces) will show good field training and cohesion.

The CSTO Joint Press Centers will be established to disseminate official information about the conduct of joint trainings with the CSTO Troops (Collective Forces) as part of each training.

The final stage of the training will take place on 21 October, after which the contingents will return to their permanent deployment locations.