During the exercise in the Kurgan region, young pilots of the Central Military District (CMD) performed the first independent flights to reconnoitre objects of a mock enemy on Su-24MR reconnaissance aircraft.

Su-24MR crews performed single flights at low and medium altitudes from 300 to 3,000 meters, takeoffs and landings during the day in simple weather conditions. 

Before the first flights on combat use, young crews were retrained at the state center for training aviation personnel and military tests of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, where they worked on simulators, passed tests and flew more than 100 hours with instructors at the Shagol airfield.

The exercise involved 10 Su-34 fighter-bombers and Su-24MR reconnaissance aircraft, more than 20 ground vehicles, and about 200 military personnel from the flight, engineering, and flight support and control groups.