MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/: Russian and Laotian troops switched to the active phase of the Laros-2019 joint drills at the Ban Peng training ground in Laos, the press office of Russia’s Eastern Military District reported on Tuesday.
"The active phase [of the drills] has kicked off at the Ban Peng training ground… The armored units of the Eastern Military District’s motorized infantry formation from the Trans-Baikal Region and of the Laotian armed forces practiced joint reconnaissance and search operations to detect militant groups, field camps and ammunition depots of a notional [illegal armed] force," the press office said in a statement.
The tank crews of the armed forces of Russia and Laos advanced aboard their combat hardware to the designated areas. During their march, the tank crews negotiated rough terrain sections and notionally contaminated areas. After that, the tank grouping of both countries assumed advantageous positions and heights to complete its anti-terror operations as part of the drills.
The first joint Russian-Laotian drills of armored units dubbed Laros-2019 are running on December 10-19 and involve over 500 troops from both countries. The tank crews of the motorized infantry formation stationed in the Trans-Baikal Region, and also a logistic support platoon and an army medical unit are representing Russia in the drills.
The Laotian Defense Ministry is represented by tactical groups of armored and reconnaissance units, radiation, chemical and biological protection units and signal troops.
The troops participating in the drills will exchange their experience of using combat hardware in wooded, swampy, and mountainous terrain and practice the tactic of joint operations in the jungles.
For the period of the drills, the Laos army has provided its T-72MS tanks, BRDM-2MS armored reconnaissance and patrol vehicles, PKTM machine-guns and AKM assault rifles to the Russian personnel.
