Four Tajik top tank crews will participate place in the Tank Biathlon World Championship 2020 that will take place at the Alyabino Firing Range in Moscow oblast from August 23 to September 5, Colonel Faridoun Mahmadalizoda, a spokesman for the Tajik Ministry of Defense (MoD), told Asia-Plus in an interview.
Tajik delegation will be led by Colonel Mahmadali Ashourov, Deputy Commander of Ground Forces of Tajikistan.
Tank biathlon is part of the Army International Games (Armi-2020).
This year’s games will focus on “security as a whole, medical care and logistics. Around 6,000 troops are expected to take part in the event.
The tank biathlon is a mechanized military sport event promoted 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 kilometers. 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 fire at targets shaped like an anti-tank gun and ATGM unit using the turret-mounted heavy machine gun at a distance of 1,200 m. One or more misses leads to an extra penalty lap 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 international tank biathlon competition has been held since 2014.
