Do you think Olympic Games are the ultimate championship? Well, think again! There is something bigger and more ‘powerful’ than the Olympics. It is called the International Army Games.
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Here are some amazing facts:
1. The first International Army Games were organized by Russia in 2015.
2. The games are the brainchild of Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu, and the first edition of the games were held in Russia.
3. During the second edition in 2016, Kazakhstan became a co-host.
4. The games include a variety of competitions between members of the armed forces of several countries.
5. Artillery-men, tank-operators, paratroopers, combat engineers, snipers, mountain gunners, and other defense personnel from countries as diverse as South Africa, Fiji, Israel and Greece will participate in the 2017 edition.
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Iranian commandos at the International War Games 2016. Tasnim News
6. India has been a regular participant since 2016 and has won in several competitions.
7. This year, India is likely to send its most powerful, indigenously-built Arjun tanks along with T90 Bhishma tanks for the Tank Biathlon at the Games.
8. In 2015, the participating countries included Azerbaijan, Angola, Armenia, Belarus, China, Egypt, India, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Serbia, Tajikistan, and Venezuela. US and UK did not accept the invitation.
9. Although the games are very safe with medical crew ready for help, last year a Kuwaiti tank overturned while attempting to climb a mud ramp. Also, in the same edition, a Russian pilot lost his life when his helicopter crashed.
10. Other major competitions include ‘Gunsmith Master’, the ‘Sniper Frontier’, and the ‘Keys to the Sky’ contest, where armies get to show off their air-defense missiles, and a military dogs contest.
11. The games always conclude with the Tank Biathlon which is the most-awaited and the grandest of all competitions.
This year the games will be held between July 29 and August 12 in Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and China. Several new entries for this year’s games would include military off-road vehicles and drones. A total of 28 contests will be held.
Take a look at this Tank Biathlon video:
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