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Fact Sheet: Open Skies Treaty -- First Russian Observation in the United States
Bureau of Arms Control
Department of State
June 7, 2004

During the week of June 7, 2004, the Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus will conduct its first Open Skies Treaty observation mission over the territory of the United States. The Open Skies Treaty entered into force on January 1, 2002. Since entry into force, this is the first observation mission the U.S. is hosting under the Treaty. To date, the U.S. has conducted 10 observation missions over the territories of the Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus. Russia and Belarus are scheduled to conduct two observation missions over the U.S. this year.

The Russian TU-154 is an unarmed aircraft that was recently certified in accordance with Treaty provisions. It will arrive at Travis AFB, California (a designated point of entry into the U.S.), and the mission will commence from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.

A U.S. escort team from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) will accompany the Russian team throughout the mission, including on-board the aircraft during the observation flight.

The Russian aircraft is equipped with optical cameras. The U.S. will receive a copy of the imagery collected during the mission. Other Open Skies States Parties may also purchase copies of the imagery from Russia.

The Russian team will negotiate a mission route of up to 3,750 kilometers. The Treaty allows Russia, as the observing Party, to image any point on the territory of the U.S. along the agreed flight plan.

For further information, please see fact sheets on the Open Skies Treaty at www.state.gov/t/ac or www.dtra.mil.