Four Tajik top tank crews will participate in the Tank Biathlon World Championship 2017 that will take place at the Alabino Firing Range in Moscow oblast from July 29 through August 6, according to the Ministry of Defense (MoD) of Tajikistan.
An official source at a MoD says, Tajik delegation will be led by Colonel Mahmadali Ashourov, Deputy Commander of Ground Forces of Tajikistan.
This year, tank crews from Azerbaijan, Angola, Armenia, Belarus, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, India, Iran, China, Laos, Kuwait, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Serbia, Tajikistan and Uganda will participate in the Tank Biathlon World Championship in Russia. Laos and Uganda are new entrants to the game.
All the teams use Russian T-72 tanks, except for the Chinese crews, who use their own T-96 tanks. This year, however, another country plans to use its own tanks- India.
The deputy chief of the Main Directorate of Combat Training (GUBP) of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Major-General Dmitry Gorbatenko, said during a meeting with foreign military attaches from 32 countries that India may bring its T-90 Bhishma tanks for the games.
The deputy chief of the GUBP also noted that the remaining participants in the tank competition would receive Russian T-72 tanks. At the same time, participants of competitions in other countries have the right to use either their own technique or the technology of the host country. "Russian servicemen will participate in competitions on their equipment," Major-General Dmitry Gorbatenko added.
Meanwhile, citing a source in the Indian Ministry of Defense, RBTH (Russia beyond the Headlines) says India is likely to use its indigenous Arjun tanks for the biathlon.
A Tank biathlon is a mechanized military sport developed by the Russian Military with some similarities to the winter sport of biathlon. It utilizes the complex training of tank crews including their rough terrain passing skills combined with the ability to provide accurate and rapid fire while performing maneuvers.
Participating tanks drive a three-lap route of 6–10 km. During the first lap, crews fire at targets positioned at distances of 1,800, 1,700 and 1,500 m. In the second lap, different targets imitating an anti-tank mortar (RPG) squad and an infantry unit are fired upon. These targets are at a distance of 600–700 m, and must be engaged with a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. In the third lap the tank crews target a target shaped like an anti-tank gun and ATGM unit by use of the turret-mounted heavy machine gun at a distance of 1,200 m. One or more misses leads to an extra penalty lap of 500 m long. On the final lap tanks have to go through various terrain obstacles; an obstacle missed or improperly traversed adds 10 seconds to the crew's final timing.
The 1st Tank Biathlon World Championship took place at the Alabino proving ground on August 4–16, 2014. Out of 41 nations that received invitation to the tournament, 12 sent their representatives. Every competitor (except teams of China and Russia) received a T-72B tank in the biathlon color scheme. The Russian team piloted the newest modification, T-72B3, and the Chinese team brought their own Type 96A.
