Russia plans to expand its air patrol missions of long-range aircrafts to cover the Gulf of Mexico, the country's defense minister, Sergey Shoigu, says. He added that military training will include flights along the Russian border and the Arctic Ocean, reports GHN based on RT.
"In the current situation we have to maintain military presence in the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific, as well as the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico," Shoigu said on Wednesday.
As part of the military training, long-range aircrafts will also fly along the Russian border and over the Arctic Ocean, the defense minister said.
This kind of expansion relies on the serviceability of aircrafts, Shoigu noted. "I approved a plan to improve the state of long-range aircrafts, including repair and serviceability."
The news follows an announcement at the end of October that Russia will be completing a network of radar stations in the Arctic by next year.
"The plan involves the building of 13 airfields, one land test range for the Air Forces, 10 radar sites and direction centers," said Lt. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the National Defense Control Center.
Shoigu added during the announcement that Russia will continue upgrading its foreign military bases as well.
Russia's plans come as NATO has stepped up its activities near the Russian border, including in the Black Sea and Baltic waters.
NATO has conducted five military exercises near the Russian border over the past six months, according to the head of the ministry's Department of International Cooperation, Sergey Koshelev.