IRNA � Iran's armored vehicles comprising military tanks left Tehran on Thursday for Moscow to attend the international tanks battle dubbed 'tanks biathlon', official in charge of Iranian team in the international event Brigadier General Vajohollah Jamshidi said.


Some 23 foreign teams try to prove their supremacy during International Army Games in Russia which will be held during July 6 till August 11, he said.

The tank biathlon is a mechanized military sport event promoted by the Russian military. It utilizes the complex training of tank crews including their rough terrain passing skills combined with the ability to provide accurate and rapid fire while performing maneuvers.

Participating tanks drive a three-lap route of 6�10 km. During the first lap, crews fire at targets positioned at distances of 1,800 m, 1,700 m and 1,500 m. In the second lap, different targets imitating an anti-tank mortar (RPG) squad and an infantry unit are fired upon. These targets are at a distance of 600�700 m, and must be engaged with a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. In the third lap the tank crews targets a target shaped like an anti-tank gun and ATGM unit by use of the turret-mounted heavy machine gun at a distance of 1,200 m. One or more misses lead to an extra penalty lap of 500 m long. On the final lap tanks have to go through various terrain obstacles; an obstacle missed or improperly traversed adds 10 seconds to the crew's final timing.

Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Azerbaijan, Belorussia and Armenia jointly host the international event in which some 23 foreign countries demonstrate the arts of their military servicemen in a battlefield-like environment.