The NATO – Russia cooperation system will be fully up and running by 2011, but already today the centers cam see each other’s date reports DefenseNews.com. With the system in place, both NATO and Russia can see a shared radar picture of air traffic all round the Barents Region and with that provide early notification of suspicious air activity. In addition to the Barents Region, the system provides similar radar exchange for all over Russian air space as well as air space around all NATO member states.
According to DefenseNews.com the systems main centers are established in Warsaw and Moscow. In addition to Bodø and Murmansk, local coordination sites are in Kaliningrad and Rostov-on-Don in Russia and in Ankara in Turkey.
Last year, the Joint Operational Headquarters of the Norwegian Armed Forces was moved to Reitan near Bodø in Northern Norway. All air space activities in the north are under surveillance from Reitan. From Murmansk, the Russian Armed Forces also controls northern air space activities.
Over the last years the Norwegian and Russian military are cooperating more closely than ever, with several meetings every year between the military leaders.
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On Friday this week, the joint Norwegian-Russian naval exercise Pomor-2010 starts in the Norwegian- and Barents Sea.
The exercise will include joint efforts in releasing an oil platform from armed extremists. It is reasonable to believe that the new NATO-Russia system to counter air terrorism also will be tested during the up-coming Norwegian-Russian exercise in the north.
DefenceNews.com reports that training within the new NATO-Russia system is already ongoing and a joint exercise with live aircraft will take place in early to mid-2011.
NATO member states and Russia have so far contributed more than €10 million to the system.
