The Expedition One space station crew during survival training in Russia, bailing out of a Soyuz capsule mockup at sea. Photo: NASA

Members of the U.S. Alaskan Command, Alaska Air National Guard, Alaska Army National Guard, Canadian air forces and Russian air forces will conduct a combined arctic search and rescue exercise in Russia from August 15 to 19.

The field training exercise, called Arctic SAREX 00, is designed to improve the capability of American, Canadian and Russian forces to conduct search and rescue operations in arctic regions. Field training will take place August 16 and 17, at Leningrad military district (Levashovo airfield, Lake Khepoyarve and Kasimovo airfield).

The training scenario involves the search and evacuation of the crew of an international space station, which has made an emergency landing in the water. Medical assistance to the crew of the space station by medical rescue personnel will be conducted on land. United States, Canadian and Russian forces will exercise crash site management, combined forces medical procedures and patient handling. This is the seventh combined arctic SAREX.