Right: A Russian
Aerospace
Forces (VKS)
Su-24M armed
with FAB-500
iron bombs for a
‘Peace Mission’
sortie.
Above left to right:
Kazakhstan is
in the process
of upgrading its
Su-25s to give
them a new
cockpit and
targeting system.
This Su-25UB
carries B-8 rocket
pods.
An unarmed
WZ-10 returns
from the exercise
area.
A J-11 gets
airborne from
Shagol with B-13
rocket pods for
130mm rounds.Russia has seen another
live fire exercise, which
this time brought together
a variety of Chinese and
domestic assets for ‘Peace
Mission 2018’.REPORT AND PHOTOS
Dmitriy PichuginR
USSIA HAS HOSTED yet
another joint military
exercise in the shape of
‘Peace Mission 2018’, a joint
counter-terrorism event held
under the auspices of the
Shanghai Co-operation Organization
(SCO) and based out of Shagol,
Chelyabinsk from August 22-29. As well
as Russian forces, assets from China,
India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan
and Tajikistan took part, equating to
around 3,000 personnel plus 60 aircraft
and helicopters.
The Chebarkul landill site was the
venue for most of the action, with
aviation assets from Russia, China and
Kazakhstan operating from Shagol.
Unmanned aerial vehicles and
Su-24MRs were used to gather data on
the ground activities. Su-24M bombers,
Kazakh Su-25s and Su-30SMs, plus
Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air
Force (PLAAF) J-11s and JH-7As struck
ground targets with live weapons.
Rotary elements included Chinese
Mi-171 helicopters and their
accompanying WZ-10 attack helicopters
operating alongside Russian Mi-8AMTSH
and Mi-24Ps.PHOTO REPORT // PEACE MISSION 2018
66 November 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net