Tankers from Kyrgyzstan showed the third best time during the opening of the World Championship in Tank Biathlon-2014, which started in the Moscow region village of Alabino, where the Russian Ministry of Defense's training ground is located. This was reported by the press service of the domestic defense ministry on Tuesday.
“The first stage of the competition is currently underway. Yesterday, on the first day, our first crew performed. In terms of time, our tankers came in third. But since this is a team competition, not an individual one, it is too early to talk about the results,” explained the press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Kyrgyz Republic.
In total, participants will have to endure the challenges of four stages. The crews will compete not only in skillful and speedy driving of combat vehicles, as well as shooting at various targets, but will also demonstrate their physical fitness in running.
In order to honorably withstand all the challenges of the biathlon, the team from Kyrgyzstan trained for six months – the preparation consisted of the same stages as the championship itself. Out of 20 crews, the commanders ultimately selected four, which went to Alabino.
It should be noted that the first international tank biathlon competitions took place in the second half of August 2013. That time, the competition gathered tankers from only four countries – Russia, Armenia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. This year, until August 16, fighters from a total of 12 countries from Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America – Angola, Armenia, Belarus, Venezuela, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Kuwait, Mongolia, Russia, and Serbia – will perform at the training ground. Delegations from more than 20 countries arrived at the championship as observers. As the host country, Russia prepared more than sixty T-72B1 tanks for the participants. The only guests who did not use Russian combat vehicles were the Chinese – the military from the PRC arrived with their Type 96 A tanks.
