Armenia Placed 2nd in International Tank Biathlon Championship

MOSCOW — Armenian army team received a silver medal in the final round of the Tank Biathlon 2014 international competition, which wrapped up Saturday in Moscow.

The championship of tank-driving skills and precision shooting from machine guns and cannons was held from August 4 to 16 in the Russian capital city. 36 tank teams from 12 countries met for the first time this year in the history of tank battles, and delegations from more than twenty countries attended the international competition as observers.

Teams from Angola, Armenia, Belarus, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Mongolia, Russia, Serbia and Venezuela were participating in the competition.

World Championship “Tank biathlon 2014” was held in Moscow’s Alabino military training site and consisted of 2 tournaments “Sprint” and “Persecution tournament”. Armenia along with Russia, Kazakhstan, and China qualified for the final stages.

Tank biathlon is a mechanized military sport invented in Russia. It is designed to be very similar to the regular biathlon. Competing teams need to overcome several obstacles like a slalom section, a ford, a steep hill, a panel bridge and an escarpment and hit targets simulating tanks and low-flying helicopters.

The Armenian tankers who competed at the event will return home on Sunday, and an official welcoming ceremony will be held in their honor at Zvartnots International Airport of capital city Yerevan.

President of Armenia Serzh Sarkisian congratulated Armenian tankers for received a silver medal in the final round of the Tank Biathlon 2014.

“Your achievement is a good example to further promote professional improvement in all units of the Armenian army, ” he said in a message.