Russia airlifted a record-high number of military hardware to its Far East to hold the Mobility-2004 military exercise, according to Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov.

The exercise will engage a total of 5000 servicemen and over 600 combat vehicles. The airlifting has been going on since June 9 and some 900 officers and men, as well as over a hundred combat vehicles from permanent readiness units arrived from the European part of the country. The rest came from the Far East.

The minister said Tuesday upon arrival in the Far East the aim of the exercise was to test the airlifting capability of various troops, including ground forces, marines, airborne troops and their training with combat fire on unknown terrain.

Source: Agencies