Counter-Terrorism: NATO And Russia Rule The Eurasian Skies

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June 10, 2010:  NATO and Russia are establishing a shared radar system (the NATO-Russia Council's Cooperative Airspace Initiative) so that the nations involved can easily track aircraft taken by terrorists, or suspected of being controlled by terrorists and undertaking an attack mission. Canada, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Russia, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States have contributed $12.3 million to finance technical work and training. The main control centers for the system will be in Warsaw, Poland, and Moscow, Russia. Most of the air space being covered is in Russia, although more potential targets are in Western Europe. "Coordination Centers" will be in Norway, Russia (three) and Turkey. The operating language of the system will be English. The first live test of the system, to insure it is working, will be in about a year.