Tank biathlon: First comp in new paramilitary sport starts near Moscow
Russia is introducing ‘tank biathlon’, a new paramilitary sport about armor races and precision gunnery. The first international competition starts near Moscow on Monday. Several NATO countries, including the US, are expected to join the contest in 2014.
The concept of a direct tank crew competition recently introduced by the Russian Defense Ministry was born during an ordinary tank crew field firing exercise. What the military needs is a complex tank crew proficiency and gunnery skills test.
But while military drills are a serious and costly matter, tank biathlon is more about pure professionalism and sporting competitive spirit. The winner is champion, having ‘blown’ the competitors away.
The basic idea behind the tank contest is simple and repeats the rules of the classic biathlon: cover about 20km in shortest time while successfully hitting your targets.
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