WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th March, 2020) The US military has numerous concerns about the Open Skies Treaty with Russia and has put on hold recapitalization of aircraft used in monitoring overflights until final decisions are made on the accord, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said in a congressional testimony.
"I have a lot of concerns about the treaty as it stands now," Esper told the US Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday. "At this point of time until we make a final decision on the path forward, I am not prepared to recapitalize aircraft. I want to make sure we understand what the direction is."
The Open Skies Treaty was signed in Helsinki on March 24, 1992 and currently comprises 34 member states. They may conduct surveillance flights over the territories of the other parties to the treaty in order to gather information about potential and actual military activities.
Esper accused Russia of denying US monitors access to the Kaliningrad region - a territory adjacent to Georgia and military exercise areas.
The Defense Department chief said he had raised the issue of alleged Russian non-compliance with the Open Skies Treaty at the NATO defense ministerial last month and urged the allies to speak out more clearly about that.
