MOSCOW (Sputnik), Alexander Mosesov — ACE 2015 involves some 100 aircraft from the three Nordic host countries, as well as the United Sates, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The exercise is taking place between May 25 and June 5.
"ACE has nothing to do with Russia or the new tense of international political situation. The aim of ACE 15 is to exercise and train units, command and control in the orchestration and conduct of air operations. This exercise was planned years ago," Maj. Stian Roen said.
The drills come a month after the defense ministers of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, along with the foreign minister of Iceland, published a joint op-ed in the Norwegian Aftenposten newspaper, asserting the need to expand northern military cooperation amid "Russian aggression."
On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced a snap combat-readiness inspection of its air and air defense units in the country's Central Military District with some 12,000 personnel and 250 aircraft involved in the four-day exercises.
NATO ceased what it refers to as "practical cooperation" with Russia in April 2014, when the armed confrontation in Ukraine's southeast began.
