09.08.2016.

Tank biathlon semi-final race starts

Semi-final race of one of the most interesting disciplines within the International Army Games – Tank Biathlon, for which the Serbian Armed Forces team has qualified, has started today.

In the first semi-finals, the teams of the armies of China, Armenia, Angola and Kyrgyzstan competed. The second day, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Iran and Mongolia will compete, while members of our armed forces go out to the track on the third day with teams from Russia, India and Azerbaijan.

This year, 12 teams qualified for the semi-finals, as opposed to last year's eight teams,

which will compete with several novelties. Specifically, there is an increasing number of targets for the coaxial machine-gun and anti-aircraft machine gun, the trail is 12 kilometres longer and penalties for certain mistakes during the race are more precisely defined.

According to Colonel Dragan Bojic, Head of the Delegation of the Serbian Armed Forces and the member of the main judicial commission, the 2nd International Army Games are conducted to a much greater extent than the last year and the competition is rough.

- Unlike last year, this year 23 competitions are conducted in 20 training areas, with the participation of more than 3000 members from 19 countries of Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa, in the territories of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan. Three

teams of the Serbian Armed Forces participating and these are traditionally, for the third time, tank units at Alabino training ground in the Moscow region, then pontoon units at the Open Water contest in the city of Murom and air defence units in Clean Sky discipline in Yeysk.

So far the competition of pontoneers has been completed and our members took the third place in competition with Russia and China. Competition of air defence crews ends today and the results are to be seen tonight. When it comes to Tank Biathlon, the final fights started, and our team is participating in the third semi-final race to be held on 11 August, Colonel Bojic pointed out.

Finals in the Tank Biathlon competition and closing ceremony of the International Army Games will be held on Saturday, 13 August.