Vietnam tank crew crowned champion at International Army Games in Russia

Vietnam has won the final round in Group 2 of the Tank Biathlon competition at the ongoing International Army Games in Russia.

At the Alabino training ground outside Moscow on Friday, Vietnam took on Laos, Tajikistan and Myanmar.

The tanks with three-member crews had to race to the finish line while shooting targets and overcoming obstacles along the way.

Vietnam finished in 2 hours, 12 minutes and 47 minutes, and hit 13 out of 24 targets.

Laos came second in 2 hours, 22 minutes and 47 minutes and hit 11 targets, followed by Tajikistan and Myanmar.

It was the third time that Vietnam took part in the Tank Biathlon and the first time it won.

The 2020 Tank Biathlon has 16 crews divided into two divisions based on their results last year. Group 1 had Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Serbia and Uzbekistan, and while Vietnam was grouped with Abkhazia, Congo, Laos, Myanmar, Qatar, South Ossetia and Tajikistan.

Abkhazia, Congo, Qatar and South Ossetia were attending for the first time.

The finals of Group 1 will be held on Saturday.

This year’s Army Games from August 23 to September 5 attracted over 6,000 military personnel from 39 countries from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Central and Latin America.

The games are held in 10 countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia and Uzbekistan.

Vietnam sent a team of 125 officers and men who competed in 10 events: Tank Biathlon, Safe Route (for combat engineering units), Safe Environment (for reconnaissance crews), Emergency Area (for emergency rescue units), True Friend (for dog handlers), Field Kitchen, Masters of Artillery Fire, Sniper Frontier, Military Medical Relay Race, and Confident Reception (for anti-aircraft missile units).

They finished third in the Safe Route event.

By Vu Anh – VnExpress.net – September 5, 2020