ALABINO (Itar-Tass)—Armenia won a tank at the World Tank Biathlon Championship that concluded on Saturday outside Moscow, the organizing committee reported.
Armenia was second in the newly introduced global military sporting event and was awarded a certificate for a new T-90 tank.
100 of the same T-90 tanks were sold to Azerbaijan by Russia in 2012.
The championship was held on August 4-16 at the Alabino firing range outside Moscow, with international tank crews from 12 countries competing in driving and shooting proficiency. Angola, Armenia, Belarus, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Serbia, and Venezuela took part in the competitions. And more than 20 countries had sent in their observers.
Russia came in first after the final round of competitions, Armenia was second, and China third.
All international crews were provided with Russia’s T-72B tanks, or Slingshot, according to NATO classification, while China brought their own tanks for the championship.
General Ivan Buvaltsev, the chief of the Russian Armed Forces’ Main Department of Combat Training, said earlier that Russia had offered a six-week training course to foreign tank crews who intended to compete on Russian combat vehicles “just for equal opportunities for all the competitors.”
He also said that that this year infantry combat vehicles and airborne assault vehicles would compete along with the tanks.
The tank biathlon, which is analogous to the Olympic biathlon discipline, was invented by the Russian military and the first international competition was held in August 2013 in Alabino with participating crews from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia.
According to the rules of tank biathlon, crews must navigate a distance of up to 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) negotiating various obstacles, crossing rivers and bridges and shooting at a set of targets. Tanks that miss a target get a penalty lap.
Mother Russia is thumbing its nose at us. They sell 100 to Azerbaijan and we’re suppose to be proud of winning a measly tank.
I wonder if Tsar Putin disrespects everyone like this, or just us?
Yes, Russia sells tanks to Azerbaijan and dozens of other countries, but gives tanks to Armenia and Artsakh for free. Why is it a problem?
The world is full of tank manufacturers and exporters. If Russia doesn’t sell, somebody else will. Do we want Azeris to buy Merkavas? Frankly, it does not matter because tanks are useless for Azeris in Artsakh mountains, especially with the kind of crews they have. Last war they had to bring Western Ukrainian nazi mercenaries to to help them out with such sophisticated hardware…
Is this a joke?
God bless Mother Russia. God bless our Hayrenik. And may God help protect the centuries old alliance between Russia and Armenia from all enemies both foreign and domestic.