Russian military to make inspection flights over US

MOSCOW - Russian military inspectors will carry out inspection flights on Sunday over the United States under an international treaty on open skies, a security officer said.

The Russian inspectors, accompanied by US specialists, will fly on board a Tu-154M/LK-1 aircraft between July 28 and August 12 from the Travis Air Force Base in California and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, according to National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center head Sergei Ryzhkov.

A sensor suite, including optical panoramic and framing cameras, video cameras with real-time display, thermal infrared imaging sensors and an imaging radar, is to be used during the inspection.

The Open Skies Treaty, which took effect in January 2002, is aimed at promoting transparency of military forces and activities. It establishes a regime of unarmed aerial observation flights over the territories of its 34 member states.