Russia has formally invited 34 international military teams to its upcoming 'World Military Games', which will feature a series of competitions involving tanks, fighter jets and other shows of military prowess, state news agency Itar-Tass reports. The Games are due to take place in August and will reportedly run for two weeks.
The contest, organised by the Russian Ministry of Defence was unveiled last December, drawing inspiration from previous events run by the Russian military which have pitted commandos from the country's armed forces with those of neighbouring states including Kazakhstan and Armenia.
According to Lieutenant-General Ivan Buvaltsyev who is in charge of organising the event, representatives from 14 countries have already attended two conferences to discuss the rules and other logistical issues surrounding the event, which will consist of 12 different disciplines held across 10 courses in Russia.
"In the period from 27 to 29 of May, we conducted field visits in the facilities where the competition will take place," Buvaltsyev said, adding that they are spread across three of Russia's four military districts.
One of the main inspirations for this summer's event was last year's 'Tank Biathlon' which involved Russia's armed forces, members of its military commonwealth and the likes of Serbia and Angola. The spectacle involved elements of racing, as different teams attempted to outpace each other in their tanks, and their firing capabilities were also tested. The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed the Tank Biathlon will be a discipline in the upcoming games, and will run for almost the entirety of the games.
Another event which is going to be part of the games is the Aviadarts competition in which jets try and outmaneuver each other and demonstrate accurate firing against set targets. This is an event which Russia's air squadrons have previously practiced, and last year they were joined by teams from Belarus and China for a friendly competition.
The event will include tournaments with other armored vehicles, as well as between paratroopers, reconnaissance officers and other troops competing in different disciplines.
Buvaltsyev did not say which countries will attend, however Kazakhstan Today reported that all of the countries in Russia's Collective Security treaty, which include the former Soviet states in central Asia, Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan, will take part.
Russian deputy defence minister Arkady Bahin said in December that 25 countries had already expressed their interest in taking part in Russia's World Military Games. Last month reconnaissance officers from China and Belarus visited Russia to discuss the upcoming competition and their potential involvement.
The opening ceremony for Russia's world military games will kick off on 1 August in the Moscow suburb of Alabino, where the military recently performed rehearsals of the 9 May parade. The games will continue for 15 days.
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