Countries in which tank biathlon is held. New sport: tank biathlon! Syrian fighters and Cuban guests

Individual race

Each crew completes three laps along a 7 km route. Tankers are faced with many obstacles, such as a ford, a slope, a scarp, an anti-tank ditch and others. At the firing lines, firing is carried out from a cannon (target "Tank"), an anti-aircraft machine gun (target "Helicopter") and a coaxial machine gun (target "RPG"). For misses and unsuccessful maneuvers (hitting a mine, knocking down limit posts, etc.), crews are given a penalty time.

Sprint

At this stage, each crew completes two 3 km laps. On the second round, the gun is fired at targets with 3 shells + 1 additional one. Three targets are located at different distances. For each missed target, a penalty loop (500 m) is assigned.

Pursuit

The length of the route is 3 laps of 4 km. On the first and second rounds, the gun is fired with guided and standard projectiles (target “Tank”). On the third circle, firing is carried out from a coaxial machine gun (target “RPG”). For each missed target, a penalty loop (500 m) is assigned.

Sports stage

A tanker is not only a skilled operator of a combat vehicle, but also a fighter who must have good physical training. At the sports stage, military personnel compete with each other in running and strength exercises, and also complete a speed obstacle course.

Relay race

All points earned by teams in the first three stages are counted, and the top four are determined, who will face the final test - the relay race. Each team fields one tank and three crews. All vehicles start at the same time, go through 3 laps of 4 km with two firing lines (firing from an anti-aircraft machine gun from a standstill and firing from a gun on the move). After the finish, the second crew takes the place of the first, and then, having completed the route, transfers the tank to the third, who completes the race.

At the end of the relay, all results are counted and the winner and prize-winners of the World Tank Biathlon Championship are determined.

The second crew of the Russian national team at the tank biathlon competition as part of the V International Army Games Army Games-2019 set a new track record - 17 minutes. 30 sec. The previous record, set by the first Russian crew, lasted only a day.

Just yesterday it seemed that the tank commander, senior sergeant Konstantin Vertunov, gunner-operator senior sergeant Igor Shilenin and driver-mechanic senior sergeant Ilya Ishimov did the impossible. However, today the second crew of the Russian team, consisting of a tank commander, sergeant major Mikhail Zhilin, gunner-operator sergeant major Bato Tsydypova and driver-mechanic senior sergeant Ivan Oseev proved that the impossible is possible not only twice, but three times. These guys improved the results of their compatriots, setting two records at once - the time to complete the route and the speed achieved.

The record-breaking races were observed by a correspondent Federal News Agency.

Let's go!

The minimum task of our first crew looked really simple - to achieve better results than those demonstrated by the first crews of the People's Republic of China and Belarus on August 3. The maximum task was more difficult - to surpass the record in the individual race set by the Russian crew in 2017 - 19 minutes. 10 sec.

The Russian red seventy-two took a position on the third track. According to the draw, crews from Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Iran took part in the race along with our tank crews. Their tanks were painted yellow, blue and green for better identification.

11:00 - horn! Under the roar of a tank diesel engine, leaving behind a trail of black solar exhaust, the Armenian tank was the first to take off from the start and went to the “snake”, also known as the “obstruction and maneuvering area.” The red tank started the race second. At this point, the yellow tank had a 2-minute head start over the red one. 40 sec.

That's it, let's go!

The way the Russian crew loaded the BC was most reminiscent of a circus act. You only had time to blink, and there the shots were already teleported to the tank gun from the closures inside the fighting compartment.

Meanwhile, the Armenians at the firing line began searching for target No. 12, “tank,” located 1600 meters away. The target is not easy - it is glass. Any hit will be immediately noticeable not only to the judges, but also to the spectators.

Four minutes after the start, when the yellow tank was still looking for a “tank,” the red tank had already rolled into the firing line. 28 seconds later the Russians opened fire.

First shot from the cannon! - direct hit on the lower left edge of the target. Then, just 18 seconds later, Igor Shilenin expertly planted the projectile directly into the center of the second target located 1,700 meters away. Another 15 seconds, and our tank’s shell hit the third target, 1800 meters away from the firing line.

After that, the red tank in a cloud of dust rushed past the yellow tank, phlegmatically frozen at the firing line, and became the leader of the race.

The shot from the Armenian tank thundered when the Russian T-72B3 was already flying towards the “ford” - a miss! And the red car was already falling into a pool of muddy rain water, completely disappearing in a giant foamy splash.

I'm going, I'm going!..

It is useless to retell further, because you need to see this with your own eyes. It was a symphony of a red tank masterfully performed by the crew. Without a hitch, without making a single mistake, the Russian T-72B3 went through the course with precision and was the first to cross the finish line. The stopwatch at that moment showed 18 minutes. 55 sec.

The stands howled. The record is down, long live the record!

The Kyrgyz came second with one miss: 25 min. 37 sec. Armenians are third with two penalties: 29 min. 43 sec. The Iranian crew rode along the track the longest, missing everything they could - 38 minutes. 33 sec.

The victory for the Russian tank crews was truly stunning. Colonel General, Head of the Main Directorate of Combat Training of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, spoke to reporters immediately after the completion of the race. Ivan Buvaltsev I had a hard time holding back my emotions.

“We have just completed the race of our team, which completed the task in 18 minutes 55 seconds, thereby breaking the 2017 record. The competition continues - the Armenian team is breathing down our backs. All the most interesting things are ahead!..” said Buvaltsev.

“There are a lot of risks here...”

It is curious that when the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu commented on this event, he voiced the reasons that prompted the military leadership of the Russian Federation to organize the Games for the first time in 2015, as follows:

“The first and main thing, which may seem... unexpected to you, is putting the training grounds in order, so that all our training grounds meet the highest standards, so that we can train specialists of any level. The second - when we realized from all the information, from all the data, that our tank crews and artillerymen, motorized riflemen were shooting many times less ammunition during training than their Western colleagues... And this was shown by one of the first sudden checks that we were shooting poorly...”

Let us remind you that the V International Army Games are held from August 3 to 17 simultaneously at 21 training grounds in 10 countries - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, Uzbekistan and Russia. 223 teams from 39 countries representing Europe, Asia, Africa, Central and Latin America are taking part in Army Games 2019.

Five foreign countries (France, USA, Slovakia, Turkey and Mexico) sent observers to the Games. Nine countries are taking part in the Army Games for the first time. These are Abkhazia, Jordan, Cambodia, Congo, Cuba, Mali, Mozambique, Sri Lanka and South Ossetia.

The total number of participants in the V International Army Games exceeds 5 thousand people.

Let us note that the Russian Ministry of Defense annually sends invitations to participate in the Army Games to dozens of countries, not excluding NATO member states. But the majority of them avoid sending military personnel and equipment to the International Army Games. The head of the Russian Ministry of Defense noted that he would not argue that this decision was based solely on political motives.

“Political considerations, of course, are present when they say: “No, well, we won’t participate in them.” There are a lot of risks here. If your equipment is worse, tomorrow you will be worse at selling it,” Shoigu explained.

Ballet at Alabino and T-80

In total, the Army Games 2019 program provides for 32 competitions in field, air and sea training. Throughout the history of the Games, the most popular competition has been and remains tank biathlon. Traditionally, it is held at the Alabino training ground near Moscow.

According to updated data, 24 teams are taking part in Tank Biathlon 2019. They included tankers from Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Cuba, Kuwait, Laos, Myanmar, Mongolia, Russia, Syria, Serbia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan and South Africa.

Each team has the right to compete in its own tanks, but only the Russians, Belarusians and the Chinese took full advantage of this rule. The first perform on T-72-B3 main battle tanks. The second - on T-72B tanks, modernized by the Belarusian defense industry to the T-72B3 standard. Well, still others brought their Type 96B tanks, modified for participation in the tank biathlon to the extent permitted by the rules of the competition.

Tankers from other countries, for various reasons, decided to use T-72-B3 tanks provided by the Russian Ministry of Defense. 102 units of such “sports equipment” were needed for the tank biathlon!

In 2019, the teams of tank biathlon participants were divided into two divisions for the first time. The distribution was based on the team ratings compiled based on the results of last year’s tank biathlon. Russia, China, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and other “veterans” were included in the first division. Teams with less experience and debutants are in the second.

Thus, “Tank Biathlon - 2019” will be the first, during which four semi-finals and two finals will take place. At the same time, both divisions will go through three competitive stages: the individual race, the semi-final heats of the relay and the final heat.

The start of the battle of armored “gladiators” on August 3 was preceded by two interesting events - a graceful tank ballet performed by the crews of the 4th Guards Tank Kantemirovskaya Division and the final race of the all-army competition for female tank crews.

The three best crews under the command of senior lieutenant took part in the tank race Marina Pushkareva, corporal Anna Korchagina and Sergeant Albina Trofimova. At the same time, the beautiful tank crews performed not on the diesel “seventy-twos” familiar to spectators, but on the gas turbine T-80UE-1, which received the eloquent nickname “jet tanks” for their characteristics.

Chinese Victory Day

Of course, the distance that the “armored Amazons” covered was less difficult than the one that the guys had to compete at during the tank biathlon. But this in no way detracts from the skill of female tank crews. When the eighties, driven by the beauties, rushed across the tankodrome with the characteristic whistling of turbines, the stands literally roared with delight!..

Well, at 13.00 the sound of a bugle was heard, and the tankers of the “senior” division took off from the start. Tanks from teams from China, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Serbia took part in the first race. Here they were just standing at the start, and now they had disappeared into thick clouds of dust.

At a distance of 4,100 meters, biathlete tankers had to overcome the “barrage and maneuvering section”, “ford”, “rut passage in mine-explosive obstacles”, “mound”, “fire strip”, “anti-tank ditch with a passage”, “model of a rut bridge” ", "comb", "scarp" and "slope". Each crew had to go through these obstacles three times.

During the first round, the tanks fired three shots each with standard ammunition from a 125 mm gun at three targets located at different distances. On the second circle, the tank commander fired an anti-aircraft machine gun at the “helicopters”. On the third circle, the gunner had to hit an RPG target with a coaxial machine gun. The penalty for misses is penalty laps. Error when overcoming obstacles - pit stop.

Difficult? From the stands it doesn't seem like much. In fact, each lap along a four-kilometer distance turned into a battle for the tankers not only with rivals, but also with themselves, as well as with their vehicle. What tactics should you choose - rush along the biathlon course with your horns behind your back or move more slowly and carefully?

The first option theoretically guaranteed a good completion time, but increased the risk of errors, misses and breakdowns. The second one “ate up” a lot of extra minutes and seconds, but it allowed us to save the car and avoid fines.

The Chinese, the main competitors of the Russian team, chose the first option. The result is one miss when firing from a cannon, but the best result of the first day of tank biathlon is 21 minutes. 01 sec. The Belarusians chose option No. 2, hit all the targets, but finished second - 21 minutes. 50 sec. The Azerbaijanis were third - two cannon misses, penalty loops and 24 minutes. 20 sec. The last to finish were the hot Serbian guys, who in the excitement of the race missed all the targets - 32 minutes. 02 sec.

However, the success of the Chinese, as we know, was more than offset by the crews of the Russian team.

How to screw up two engines

The fantastic result of Konstantin Vertunov, Igor Shilenin and Ilya Ishimov demonstrated that the Russian team is in excellent shape and is not going to give up its champion title. How are things going with other teams?

A reserve colonel agreed to comment on the Tank Biathlon 2019 competition to the Federal News Agency Victor Murakhovsky, editor-in-chief of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine.

Viktor Ivanovich, to the surprise of many, India, which gladly hosts the “Excellence in Military Intelligence” competition on its territory, refrained from sending its team to the tank biathlon this year. What do you think caused this?

To understand this incident, we should recall the 2017 biathlon, where Indian-assembled T-90S Bhishma tanks arrived. The Indians then managed to screw up two of their engines to death. The engines could not be restored. This immediately deprived the Indian team of two tanks out of three available.

- Excuse me, but how?

The fact was that the Indians decided to adjust the fuel system of tank engines in their own way, but at the same time went beyond the nominal limits.

- Such actions at tank biathlon - how common is this practice?

I probably won’t reveal a big secret if I say that all teams participating in tank biathlon do this to one degree or another. If you open the operating instructions for the T-72/T-90 tanks, it contains a description of the possibility of adjusting the fuel supply and some other, let’s say, tricks that allow you to exceed the nominal operating conditions of the engine, thereby increasing its power.

- We must assume that such actions have not only positive, but also negative consequences?

Naturally, such actions reduce the service life of the engine and increase the load not only on the engine, but also on the service systems. Including the fan drive. This device, which may seem quite simple on the surface, is in fact technologically quite complex. Together with the fan itself, it not only provides a constant air flow depending on the engine power, but also dampens shock loads.

- So what happened to the engines?

It turned out that the Indians, having intervened in the fuel system and achieved an increase in engine power, forced the fan drive to operate in critical mode. Perhaps he could have survived it. But, as it turned out, the Indian-made fan drive was inferior in characteristics to the products of our Uralvagonzavod. As a result, the fan drive and the fan itself were destroyed. This entailed instant overheating of the engine and its jamming. The incident made the Indians doubt the quality of the tanks they produced...

Now it’s clear why in 2018 they competed on Russian T-72B3s instead of their Bhishmas. But still, why don’t we see Indians at all in the biathlon this year?

I suspect that in addition to the story of engine failure, another circumstance played a role here. Indian tankers have never shown outstanding results in biathlon. The Indian team has never been among the top five teams competing for prizes. Despite the large number of tanks in service with the Indian army, despite the rather long history of tank forces in their country, the Indians are unable to convert all this into high results in tank biathlon.

Syrian fighters and Cuban guests

The option of a time-out, which the Indians took in order to better prepare for future competitions, under such circumstances looks quite logical... Many spectators consider the teams from Russia and China to be the main favorites of the World Tank Biathlon Championship. Is it so?

Of course, the Russian and Chinese teams are well prepared. But I wouldn’t discount other teams that also show good results in tank biathlon. These are the teams of Belarus and Kazakhstan, of course. These teams have strong crews, quite capable of competing even for first place.

This year, Syrians are taking part in the tank biathlon for the second time. In 2018, the best result they were able to show in the individual race was 27 minutes. 22 sec. They took twelfth place in the semi-final heats and did not make it to the finals. I remember that some viewers said that they “expected more from tankers from the most warring country in the world.” How do you assess the potential of the Syrian team in the tank biathlon?

Do not confuse combat experience with experience of participation in military sports competitions such as tank biathlon. Based on the experience of my own service, I will say that these are very different things. The experience of using the same T-72 tanks in a real combat situation does not at all guarantee achieving a high result at the Tank Biathlon competition.

One of the debuting teams at Tank Biathlon 2019 is the Cuban team. In your opinion, are Cuban tank crews able to compete on equal terms with the bulk of tank biathlon participants?

To be honest, I haven’t crossed paths with Cubans for a very long time at training grounds and tank tracks. When I worked in Ethiopia with Cuban tank crews in the late 1970s, they were quite decent crews. I don’t think that in their first races at Tank Biathlon 2019 the guests from Liberty Island will show particularly outstanding results. But in the future, the Cubans are quite capable of potentially becoming one of the top five tank biathlon teams.

Victory Monday

The continuation of “Tank Biathlon - 2019” followed on Monday.

On August 5 at 11.00 the race of the second crews of Azerbaijan, Serbia, Belarus and China started, after which the Chinese proved that the words of Ivan Buvaltsev “The most interesting things are ahead!..” are not an empty phrase. The second Chinese crew reached the finish line with a preliminary result of 18 minutes. 57 seconds, almost breaking the record of the first Russian crew.

Well, tank biathlon is a sport in which the strongest win. A lot could still change by the end of the day. This is what happened when at 12.30 the second crews of Armenia, Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Iran entered the individual race track.

The crew of Mikhail Zhilin, Bato Tsydypov and Ivan Oseev had an extremely difficult task - to prove that the record result of the red tank on August 4 was not an accident. And our guys coped with the task, and how!

Once again, the spectators watched with bated breath the symphony of the red T-72B3 with the Russian tricolor on the tower. To say that Zhilin, Tsydypov and Oseev raced across the Alabino training ground is an understatement. They did not race along the distance, but flew by.

When the red “seventy-two” hit the ground with its tracks after jumping from the mound, many in the stands instinctively closed their eyes. It seemed to the spectators that the tank was about to break into pieces. But the Russian car and crew survived! And they crossed the finish line first.

Result - the distance was completed with a preliminary time of 17 minutes. 30 sec. At the same time, driver-mechanic Ivan Oseev managed to set a new speed record in an individual race, accelerating his armored car to 78 km/h.

It was absolutely brilliant.

The editors of the Federal News Agency congratulate the Russian tank biathlon team and wish them further success.

Let us remind you that the semi-final relays of the first division will be held on August 10 and 12, the second - on August 11 and 13. The final race of the second division will take place on August 15, and the first - on August 17.

When we hear the word “biathlon”, we usually imagine a winter track and athletes with a rifle on their back. However, the sport is not only classical, but also military, where crews compete with each other using powerful equipment. We are talking about the tank biathlon 2019, which will be held from August 3 to 17 as part of .

Date of tank biathlon 2019

Tank biathlon– competition between crews in the skill of driving a tank and the accuracy of firing the main and additional guns.

Tank biathlon competitions in 2019 will traditionally be held at the Alabino military training ground in the Moscow region from 3 to 17 August. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the sport was invented in the summer of 2013, and world championships began to be held in 2014.

Although similar competitions were held in NATO countries for the Canadian Army Prize in 1963-1991 in West Germany. They were later reincarnated in 2016: now the competition for NATO members is called the Strong Europe Tank Challenge and is also based in Germany.

Tank biathlon 2019: schedule and stages

We show the schedule of stages of the tank biathlon 2019. Note that all first part of the competition(August 3-8) will be devoted to first stage of the individual race, where crews will fight every day.

date	Time	Discipline
August 3rd	11:00	Tank ballet – opening ceremony
August 3rd	12:00-14:00	Open Cup of DOSAAF Russia in motobiathlon
August 4	11:00-15:00
	11:00-16:00	Orienteering Cup
	16:00-18:00	First stage. Individual race (two heats)
5th of August	11:00-15:00	First stage. Individual race (two heats)
5th of August	16:00-17:00
August 6	11:00-15:00	First stage. Individual race (two heats)
August 6	16:00-17:00	First stage. Individual race (one run)
August 7	11:00-15:00	First stage. Individual race (two heats)
August 7	16:00-17:00	First stage. Individual race (one run)
8 August	11:00-15:00	First stage. Individual race (two heats)
8 August	16:00-17:00	First stage. Individual race (one run)
10th of August	11:00-13:00	Semifinal of Group I of the Tank Biathlon (one race)
10th of August	11:00-15:00	DOSAAF Russian Open Cup in motor sports
11th August	11:00-13:00
11th August	11:00-15:00	Open Cup of DOSAAF Russia in all-around shooting sports
12th of August	11:00-13:00	Group I semi-final (one heat)
12th of August	13:00-14:30	Paramilitary relay race among military-patriotic clubs (13-15 years old)
August 13	11:00-13:00	Group II semi-final (one heat)
August 13	13:00-14:30	Paramilitary relay race among military-patriotic clubs (16-17 years old)
August 15	11:00-13:00	Group II final
August 17	15:00-16:00	Performance by the aerobatic team of the Russian Aerospace Forces
	16:30-17:30	Group I final
	18:00	Summing up the results of the Tank Biathlon 2019 and the award ceremony

In the event of inclement weather or the absence of any teams, changes to the schedule may occur.

Where to buy tickets for tank biathlon 2019, price

Ticket prices differ on the opening and closing days of the International Army Games (August 3 and 17) and on other days (August 4-16).

On other days the prices are as follows.

Tickets for other days (August 4-16)
With seating on the podium	No seat provided
For VIP persons (for all categories) – 1500 rubles	–
For citizens over 16 years old - 700 rubles	For citizens over 16 years old - 400 rubles
350 rubles	For children from 7 to 16 years old, pensioners and students - 200 rubles
For children under 7 years old (without a seat), WWII veterans, combat veterans and disabled people, Youth Army members - for free	For children under 7 years of age, conscripts, WWII veterans, combat veterans and disabled people, Youth Army members - for free

You can purchase tickets on the official website of Tank Biathlon 2019.

Countries participating in the competition

Participants will take part in the Tank Biathlon 2019 22 countries, I turn on the hostess Russia. Geography includes Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Teams from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Cuba, Kuwait, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Russia, Serbia, Syria, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka and SOUTH AFRICA.

The team can include up to 21 people. Typically this includes:

team leader - 1 person;
team representatives (4 tank crews each: three main and one reserve) – 12 people;
coaching staff - 2 people;
technical support specialists – 6 people.

Tankers will compete in field orientation, driving skill, shooting accuracy and fire control on T-72B3 tanks, Belarus - on its modernization of the T-26ME tank, and China - on the updated Type-96B.

Obstacles at the Tank Biathlon 2019 distance

In total, tankers will meet with 10 types of obstacles:

ford;
track bridge;
maneuvering area;
mound;
scarp;
anti-tank ditch with passage;
comb;
rut passage in a mine-explosive barrier;
slope;
fiery streak.

The main point of the tests is that they need pass without stopping, reversing or driving around. For violation, the crew receives a penalty lap. In obstacles with pillars, for each limiter knocked down, the team is awarded 10 penalty points. The goal is to pass with the fewest violations and fines.

Targets

Used during competitions 4 types of targets. Let's look at each of them.

Target No. 12 “TANK”

The goal is to simulate a tank in a frontal position. Located at ground level. Its height is 2.37 m, width – 3.42 m. Distance to the target: 1600-1800 m.

Target No. 9 "RPG"

Demonstrates a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher. Installed at ground level, height and width have the same parameters - 0.85 m. Destruction of targets at a distance of 600 to 800 m.

Target No. 25 “Helicopter”

As you can easily guess from the name, it simulates a helicopter in a frontal position. Located at an altitude of 12 meters. The height of the target itself is 3.2 m, the width is almost half that – 1.8 m. Target shooting ranges from 800 to 1000 meters.

Target No. 11 "ATGM"

Simulates an anti-tank weapon based on an ATGM in frontal projection. Located at ground level, height – 1.1 m, width – 1.5 m. Distance to the target – from 800 to 1000 meters.

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03.04.2017

In the Southern Military District at the Prudboy training ground, the district stage of the “Suvorov Onslaught”, “Tank Biathlon” and “Sniper Frontier” competitions began

This year, more than 150 military personnel of units and formations of the Southern Military District will demonstrate their skills at the best training ground in the country - Prudboe. About 40 units of military equipment take part in the competition. The army competition was solemnly opened by the commander of the Southern Military District, Colonel General Alexander Dvornikov.

“At the competitions, participants show a high level of combat skill,” the commander noted. – The crews and crews of the Southern Military District are annually part of the Russian team, representing the country at international level competitions.

According to Alexander Dvornikov, servicemen of the Southern Military District took leading places in 10 competitions last year. The bar cannot be lowered, especially since this year for the first time there will be a new “Military Rally” competition, its start will take place in Volgograd, and the finish will be at the Prudboy training ground. The best crews of T-72B3 tanks and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles were selected to participate in district competitions during qualifying competitions in military units, brigades and armies of the Southern Military District. 16 best crews of T-72B3 tanks and 16 crews of BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles will demonstrate the combat power of their vehicles. Professionals came to the Volgograd training ground from units stationed in the territories of the Republics of Crimea, North Ossetia-Alania, Dagestan and Chechnya, Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories, Volgograd Region, as well as from Russian military bases in Armenia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The competitions at the Prudboy training ground, which are preparations for the International Army Games ARMY 2017, will last until April 7. Participants still have to overcome land and water obstacles. Snipers must hit various types of targets at distances ranging from 900 to 2200 meters.

02.04.2017

In the Southern Military District at the Prudboy training ground there will be a dynamic display of modern weapons and military equipment

At the Prudboy training ground in the Volgograd region on April 3, 2017, as part of the opening ceremony of the district stages of the army games competitions “Tank Biathlon”, “Suvorov Onslaught” and “Sniper Frontier”, a dynamic display of the combat capabilities of motorized rifle, tank and artillery units, assault and army aviation will take place, tactical airborne assault and reconnaissance actions in hand-to-hand combat.

Demonstration events will begin with a demonstration of the flight and strike capabilities of the Su-24 and Su-25SM aircraft. In addition, viewers will see the combat use of Mi-35 and Mi-8 AMTSH helicopters, which will strike with unguided missiles against a mock enemy and ensure a tactical landing.

Guests will also be shown the capabilities of third-generation BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, modern T-90S tanks and 152-mm 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled artillery howitzers.

At the end of the event, military personnel from reconnaissance units, having landed, will demonstrate their army hand-to-hand combat skills. More than 200 military personnel will take part in the large-scale spectacle and about 50 units of modern weapons and military equipment will be used.

29.03.2017

The Southern Military District will host district stages of the Tank Biathlon, Suvorov Onslaught and Sniper Frontier competitions.

From April 1, the Southern Military District (SMD) at the Prudboy training ground in the Volgograd region will host district stages of field training competitions “Tank Biathlon”, “Suvorov Onslaught” and “Sniper Frontier” in preparation for the 2017 International Army Games. The best crews of T-72B3 tanks and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles were selected to participate in district competitions during staged qualifying competitions in military units, brigades and armies of the Southern Military District. In total, more than 150 military personnel will take part in the district stage of the competition at the Prudboy training ground, and about 40 units of military equipment will be involved. 16 of the best crews of T-72B3 tanks and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles will take to the training tracks of the training ground.

During the races, competition participants will have to overcome land and water obstacles, hit various targets at a distance of 900 to 2200 m, each of which is provided with a specific ammunition - a guided projectile, a standard projectile and ammunition for the Kord heavy machine gun. Especially for these competitions, two tracks with a length of 6.1 and 3 km are equipped at the training ground.

In the “Sniper Frontier” competition, military personnel will compete both in singles and as part of sniper pairs of motorized rifle formations and special forces formations of the Southern Military District. Snipers will have to hit various targets with a Dragunov sniper rifle during the day and at night. In addition, they will compete in covert movement, overcoming various obstacles and camouflage using improvised and standard means, and adjusting fire using observation and aiming devices. All participants in professional competitions will need to pass physical training standards and be tested on their knowledge of the tactical and technical characteristics of standard weapons. The winners of the district stages of field training competitions will represent the Southern Military District at the All-Russian stages of army competitions.

20.03.2017

The Western Military District command summed up the results of the district stages of the Suvorov Onslaught and Tank Biathlon competitions

At the Alabino training ground in the Moscow region, the command of the Western Military District (WMD) and the panel of judges summed up the results of the qualifying stages of the professional skills competitions “Suvorov Onslaught-2017” and “Tank Biathlon-2017”.

The competition took place in several stages, where the 30 best crews of the combined arms and tank formations of the Western Military District competed in tactical, technical, fire, combat, military medical, and engineering training. During the races, the competition participants overcame land and water obstacles on a track about 4 km long, hitting various types of targets at distances from 600 to 2200 m.

According to the results of the competition in the team championship among motorized rifle platoons, first place was taken by servicemen of the 2nd Guards Motorized Rifle Division of the 1st Guards Tank Army, in second place were the crews of the Baltic Fleet, and the third place was taken by servicemen of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army. Representatives of the 138th Guards Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 6th Combined Arms Army won the tank races, servicemen of the 1st Guards Tank Army took second place, and the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army of the Western Military District took third place.

In total, more than 150 military personnel from Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg, Moscow and Voronezh took part in the district stage of the competition, and about 40 units of military equipment were involved.

17.03.2017

The winner of the tank biathlon in the Eastern Military District was a tank platoon of the army stationed in Primorye

Today in the Eastern Military District (EMD), the district stage of the tank biathlon competition and the Suvorov Onslaught competition ended with an award ceremony for the winners. Among the tankers, there was no equal to the tank platoon of the combined arms army stationed in the Primorsky Territory, and the victorious personification of the “Suvorov onslaught” was the motorized rifle platoon of the combined arms formation stationed in the Amur region. The competition took place over five days at the Anastasyevsky training ground near Khabarovsk.

They were attended by 15 crews of T-72B3 tanks and the same number of BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles from the combined arms formations of the Eastern Military District stationed in Buryatia, Trans-Baikal, Khabarovsk, Primorsky territories, Amur and Sakhalin regions. All of them are winners of the qualifying stages in their associations. The competition program consisted of five stages: “Concentration area” and “Complex strip”, which made up one stage, “Tank driving”, “Strong point”, “Individual race”, “Sports”.

Starting next week, the crews will begin preparing for the all-army competition, which will take place in the second half of May at the combined arms training ground in the Volgograd region. The international finals of tank biathlon and “Suvorov Onslaught” will traditionally be held at the Alabino training ground in the Moscow region.

13.03.2017

In the Arctic, tank crews of the Northern Fleet are preparing for a tank biathlon

Motorized riflemen of the brigade of land and coastal forces of the Northern Fleet are preparing for the Tank Biathlon competition of the 2017 International Army Games.

At the training grounds near Pechenga, the crews of T-72B3 combat vehicles train to overcome natural and artificial obstacles that are encountered along a 5 km long route: a rutted bridge, a slope, an anti-tank ditch, a snake.

Training takes place in conditions of deep snow cover, which is typical for the Arctic at this time of year. In some sections of the route the snow thickness reaches two meters.

At the initial stage of preparation for the competition, 12 full-time crews were formed from motorized rifle battalions. Three teams were selected from them. In two months, the best tankers of the ground and coastal forces of the Northern Fleet will compete with their colleagues from other military districts in the Moscow region.

12.03.2017

A draw for participants in the district stage of the Tank Biathlon competition of Army Games 2017 took place in the Eastern Military District.

At the Knyaze-Volkonsky training ground of the Eastern Military District (EMD), located in the Khabarovsk Territory, a draw for participants in the district stage of the Tank Biathlon competition took place.

For the participating teams, the order of completing the stages of the competition, the start, and the race number in the individual race is determined.

At the end of the draw, the starting numbers were distributed as follows. The first to go to the start will be the crews of the army corps stationed in the Sakhalin region. The second will be performed by military personnel representing the combined arms formation of the Eastern Military District, stationed in the Trans-Baikal Territory, and the third number will be performed by crews from the combined arms army stationed in the Republic of Buryatia.

Tankers from Primorye will be the fourth to start. The fifth number will be the crews of the combined arms formation of the district from the Amur region. This year, the following tank colors have been established: for the team from the Primorsky Territory - dark red, the Trans-Baikal Territory - blue, the Amur Region - white, the Republic of Buryatia - yellow, the Sakhalin Region - light green.

02.03.2017

In the Western Military District, tank biathlon participants are preparing for the decisive elimination race

In the Western Military District (WMD), tank crews - winners of the second round of the Tank Biathlon 2017 competition - began comprehensive preparation for the third (district) stage. This time, the race to the bottom will be for tank crews of combined arms armies who arrived from the Moscow, Leningrad, Kursk, Voronezh and Kaliningrad regions.

During the qualifying race, each tank crew will have to overcome four laps along a 7-kilometer track, consisting of sections of varying difficulty. Also, tankers will have to pass through a “snake”, “slope”, “rut bridge”, “anti-tank ditch”, “ford” and other elements of the route. After each lap, the crews fire from NSVT and PKT machine guns, as well as from tank guns. Firing with standard artillery rounds is carried out at targets at a distance of 1600 to 1800 m. In case of a miss, the crew will have to go through an additional penalty loop.

In addition, each tanker will be tested individually for physical strength, endurance and speed. The stage is maximally adapted to the various types of physical activity that tankers encounter while driving equipment and when performing shooting. The conditions of the competition include throwing grenades, running and crawling with boxes of ammunition, overcoming labyrinths, water barriers and other obstacles. All results will be recorded by representatives of the panel of judges from among the officers of the Western Military District headquarters.

02.03.2017

The second stage of the qualifying competitions “Tank Biathlon” and “Suvorov Onslaught” has begun in the Russian Armed Forces

The second stage of qualifying competitions for the International Army Games “Tank Biathlon” and “Suvorov Onslaught” has begun in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Based on the results of the first stage, which took place in formations and military units of military districts, coastal forces of fleets, 37 tank platoons and 26 platoons of BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles were selected. Since 2017, regular platoons and units have been involved in the qualifying competitions of the “Tank Biathlon” and “Suvorov Onslaught” competitions, as in other competitions of the International Army Games, instead of crews to practice complex combat training events. Thus, during the competitions, for the first time, defensive and offensive actions were provided for. Particular attention is paid to issues of fire control in various types of tactical operations day and night.

In addition, a more complex target environment is being created at the training grounds, in which the number of targets to hit and the range to them are increased by 30-40%, as well as the number of individual and group standards performed for a more objective assessment of crews. The approaches being introduced make it possible to maximally cover all military specialties of the competing units and objectively evaluate them in all subjects of combat training, as well as determine the best crew to participate in the international stage of the competition. During the first qualifying stage, more than 2.5 thousand crews of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles took part in the “Tank Biathlon” and “Suvorov Onslaught” competitions. About 100 testing grounds were used to determine the intermediate winners.

The qualifying stages of the tank biathlon start in the Eastern Military District

On February 16, the qualifying stages of the army competitions in “Tank Biathlon” and “Suvorov Onslaught” will solemnly start at the Sergeevsky training ground in the Primorsky Territory.

More than twenty of the best crews of T-72B3 and BMP-2 tanks from several brigades of the 5th Combined Arms Army will compete at the tank director of the training ground in the fight for the right to participate in the final competition in Alabino. During the qualifying races, the crews of combat vehicles will hit several types of targets from a standstill and in motion. The crews of combat vehicles will have to force a ford, clearly pass a rutted bridge, show filigree in the barrage and maneuvering area, overcome two steep mounds, a scarp (anti-tank barrier), avoid falling into an anti-tank ditch, show speed on the comb, accuracy of passage in a mine-explosive obstacle, and also literally “fly over” two slopes.

The actions of the participants in the all-army competition will be assessed by a group of judges from the headquarters of the Eastern Military District, which will determine the best crews.

10.01.2017

Tankers of the Southern Military District began preparing for tank biathlon competitions

More than 200 military personnel of the tank units of the 49th Army of the Southern Military District (SMD), stationed in the Stavropol Territory and Kuban, began intensive training in preparation for the tank biathlon.

Classes are held at the Molkino and Nikolo-Alexandrovskoye training grounds, where more than 30 units of weapons, military and special equipment are used to support them. Driver mechanics of T-72B3 tanks are practicing the passage of a route of increased complexity - with an obstacle course in the form of scarps, trenches, ditches, rutted bridges, slopes and minefields.

In addition, the crews perform firing exercises with a standard projectile at appearing and moving targets simulating tanks and low-flying helicopters at a distance of 900 to 2200 meters.

The professional skills competition “Tank Biathlon” is included in the program of the International Army Games 2017. Its first qualifying stages in formations and military units will be held this spring. The winners will continue to compete at the association and district level.

12.01.2017

Tankers from a Russian military base in Armenia improve their combat skills at a high-mountain training ground

At the high-mountain training ground Alagyaz, practical training of tank crews of the Russian military base stationed in the Republic of Armenia began for the qualifying stage of the 2017 International Army Games in tank biathlon.

Field training will last two weeks, more than 100 military personnel will take part in it, and up to 30 units of weapons and military equipment will be involved, including modernized T-72B tanks.

Tankers practice selecting and occupying firing positions at strong points, organizing a fire system, destroying armored vehicles and manpower of a mock enemy.

The competition is held in full compliance with the requirements and conditions of the international competition. At all places where the qualifying stage is held, tracks with obstacles are equipped, the routes of which are an exact copy of the Tank Biathlon track in Alabino, Moscow Region. During the competitive races, driver mechanics will have to overcome difficult obstacles, including a snake, a rutted bridge, a scarp and a slope.

A total of about one thousand shells were allocated for firing from tank guns during the qualifying stage. Gunners will have to show their skills in complex flank shooting, as well as destroy targets with a heavy machine gun. The winners will receive the right to advance to the third district stage, which will take place in March in the Khabarovsk Territory. The competitions are held as part of the combat training of troops and improve the professional level of military specialists. Last year, at the international stage of the Tank Biathlon competition, as part of the Russian team, crews of T-72B3 tanks from motorized rifle brigades stationed in the Eastern Military District won first place.

In 2014-2016 Professional training competitions, international tank biathlon competitions and the Suvorov Onslaught were the highest form of testing the level of training of combat vehicle crews. The crew of the Eastern Military District became the winner of the international tank biathlon competition.

In 2016, the Main Command of the Army organized the international competitions “Tank Biathlon”, “Suvorov Onslaught”, “Masters of Anti-Aircraft Combat”, “Masters of Artillery Fire”, “Excellence in Military Reconnaissance”, “Sniper Frontier”. The selection system for participation in ARMY 2016 provided for the step-by-step determination of the best military personnel, units and crews of infantry fighting vehicles and tanks in military units, formations, associations and military districts. Competition participants who took prizes among military districts took part in international competitions.

12.00 ─ OPENING CEREMONY of the “Tank Biathlon” competition. "Tank Ballet"

*After the opening ceremony is completed: FIRST STAGE of the “Tank Biathlon” competition ─ “Individual race”.

12.00-14.00 DOSAAF Russian Trial Cup (Canine Sports Federation)

12.00-14.00 Aeromodelling (demonstration performances)