Russian and French Air Force pilots have started a four-day joint exercise in central Russia, a Defense Ministry spokesman said Monday.

The tactical drills in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod and Tver regions will run through Thursday, Defense Ministry press secretary Colonel Igor Klimov said.

Russian MiG-29SMT Fulcrum-E and French Mirage F1 fighters will practice in-formation group flights and engage ground targets while mixed Russian-French crews will fly MiG-29UBM combat trainers, he said.

The exercise was preceded by joint pilot training and collaboration between command and control services, Klimov said.

Source: RIA Novosti