Russian and French Air Force pilots have started a four-day joint exercise in central Russia, a Defense Ministry spokesman said Monday, August 19, according to RIA Novosti.

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