International Army Games – 2022: history and competitions of Army Games

Army International Games (ArMI) are held for the eighth time. The first complex international competitions between the armed forces of the participating states took place in 2015. Since then, the number of teams has only grown, and the geography of the competition has expanded. About some disciplines of the International Army Games and about the history of Army Games – in the material REN TV.

Competitions of the Army International Games

Army International Games in 2022 are held from 13 to 27 August. 36 competitions are planned – 12 states are ready to hold them on their territories. We are talking about some of the presented disciplines of the Army Games-2022.

“Tank Biathlon”

Applied competitions between tank crews in the art of driving a tank and the accuracy of shooting from the main and additional weapons installed on vehicles are traditionally held at the Alabino training ground near Moscow. The competition consists of three stages: individual race (all teams participate); relay – semi-finals (8 teams participate in each division); relay race – final (4 teams participate in each division).

In preparation for the competition, driver-mechanics work out the passage of a route of increased complexity – with an obstacle course in the form of scarps, trenches, ditches, track bridges, slopes and minefields. Crews perform standard projectile firing exercises at emerging and moving targets imitating tanks and low-flying helicopters at a distance of 900 to 2200 meters.

“Seaborne”

By tradition, the stages of the competition will be held in the Kaliningrad region at the Khmelevka training ground, where the competition track has been operating since 2016, there is a material and training base, targets, as well as places for accommodating, repairing and parking military equipment.

According to the rules of the competition, the participants of the competition must overcome more than 50 obstacles in four stages of the competition, which are called “Obstacle Course”, “Survival Path”, “Ship Anti-Terror” and “Relay Race”. The total length of the tracks with obstacles is about seven kilometers.

In addition, the marines must perform various physical exercises, both individually and as part of a typical marine platoon, go through routes with various obstacles in the form of craters, trenches, ditches, minefields and water barriers, and also perform fire missions on various targets.

“Suvorov onslaught”

The competition is held among the crews of the BMP-2 and other combat vehicles of the participating countries with similar combat characteristics. The team consists of 21 people, of which one is the head of the team, two more are the coaching staff, and six people are technical support staff. The main team entering the track consists of twelve people (four tank crews). The competition takes place in three stages, the first of which is an individual classification, and the second and third are the semi-finals and finals of the relay.

“Clear sky”

This is a competition between the crews of anti-aircraft artillery and anti-aircraft missile units; the composition of the team is up to 18 people, of which the main participants are two units of five people each, the remaining eight are the command and support group. The competition includes three separate stages of races – “Skill”, “Interaction” and “Combination”, which are held using armored personnel carriers and MANPADS.

“Sniper Line”

Competition between sniper pairs; the team consists of eight snipers, forming four sparks, and up to three people of the leading command staff. The competition has three stages: the first of them evaluates individual skills, the second is a pair event, and the third is a team relay. Three types of weapons are used for the competition – the Makarov pistol (PM), the RGD-5 training grenade and the SVD 7.62 mm sniper rifle.

“Depth”

This is a competition among crews of divers; the main composition of the participants is six people, the team also includes two spare members. The competition consists of seven stages: water rescue, first aid in case of drowning, passing a water obstacle course, maintaining the life of a submarine in emergency condition, welding, the ability to work in a closed and confined space. Part of the stages is carried out on hose-dependent diving equipment, the other part involves the use of autonomous underwater equipment.

“Highway Patrol”

This is a military traffic police competition. The team consists of up to seven people, including the team leader, two technicians and four main team members. The competition is held in two stages – individual competitions (extreme driving, race along the route, competitive assessment of traffic control skills, high-speed wheel change, extreme car parking) and a military-technical team relay race. Improved police cars of the Lada Vesta brand and statutory motor vehicles are used in the competitions.

“Field kitchen”

Competition between food service specialists. The team consists of nine people, including two chefs, a baker and a representative of the technical staff, a coach, a translator and a group leader. Competitions are held in four stages: assessment of fire training, cooking and baking according to an arbitrary recipe from existing products, cooking and baking according to an established recipe, a master class in cooking national dishes. All stages of the competition are held in portable and mobile kitchens and baking units from among the equipment of the Russian army.

Other competitions of the International Army Games include:

• “Elbrus Ring” – a competition between servicemen of mountain units;
• “Open Water” – a competition among pontoon crossing units;
• “Keys from Heaven” – a competition between anti-aircraft missile troops;
• “True Friend” is a competition among service dog breeders, held with the participation of their pets.

History of the International Army Games

The creation of the International Army Games was preceded by the holding in 2013 of the international tank biathlon championship, in which teams from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia took part. Testing of competitions among tank crews was successful, and in 2014, along with the world championship in tank biathlon, competitions for military pilots “Aviadarts” were held. The participants were teams from 12 countries. For the first time among them were soldiers from Angola, Venezuela, India, China, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Serbia. According to experts from the defense departments of the participating states, the competition was a unique opportunity to improve the military skills of military personnel and exchange experience between them.

Army Games-2015

The desire for further cooperation contributed to the holding of the first International Army Games in 2015, within the framework of which 13 competitions in field, air and sea training were held at 11 training grounds. Sailors, paratroopers, gunners, engineers, specialists of military air defense, radiation, chemical and biological protection, armored vehicles have reached the international competitive level. 57 teams from 17 countries took part in the games, including for the first time military personnel from Azerbaijan, Egypt, Nicaragua, Pakistan and Tajikistan participated in the competitions of this format.

Army Games 2016

In 2016, two game competitions, including “Masters of Artillery Fire” and “Sniper Frontier” were held outside of Russia – on the territory of Kazakhstan. The program included 10 new competitions: snipers, divers, cynologists, mountain units, medical personnel and logistics specialists joined the competition. Army games began to turn into an effective form of combat training for all types and branches of the troops. New participants – teams from Greece, Zimbabwe and Iran – were able to make sure of this.

Army Games 2017

A year later, 28 competitions were successfully held at the training grounds of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. Five new disciplines have appeared: “Falconry” – competitions for crews of unmanned aerial vehicles; “Warrior of the world” – military-professional skills; “Guardian of order” – a competition of military policemen; “Highway Patrol” and “Military Rally” – a march of army off-road vehicles for 1000 kilometers. More than four and a half thousand military personnel from 28 countries took part in the games, including for the first time teams from Bangladesh, Israel, Laos, Uzbekistan, Syria, Thailand, Morocco, Uganda and South Africa.

Army Games-2018

In 2018, the number of teams increased to 189, the level of military skill of the participants has noticeably increased, and the competition has become very aggravated. A vivid confirmation of this is the establishment of 29 records, which were recorded in the Book of Records and Achievements. Military personnel from 32 states operated more than a thousand units of armored and rocket-artillery weapons, as well as 70 units of aviation equipment and 9 surface ships during the games.

At the competition sites, for the first time, the soldiers of the national armed forces of Algeria, Vietnam, Myanmar, Sudan and the Philippines tested their capabilities. The flag of the International Army Games flew into space, aboard the ISS.

Army Games 2019

By the fifth anniversary of the games, their popularity has gained global scope: for the first time, competitions were held in India, Mongolia and Uzbekistan. Already 39 states have sent 223 teams to participate in international competitions. The TV audience has exceeded two billion people. And more than a million people visited the stands of the competitions.

Four new competitions were included in the program of the games: “Accident Area” – a competition for the best emergency rescue formation, “Sayan March” among mountain units in winter conditions, “Equestrian Marathon” among equestrian units, “Polar Star” – a competition for special forces .

Army Games 2020

In 2020, due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus, the games were held in full compliance with sanitary and epidemiological standards. During the event, 39 records were set, of which 10 belong to the military personnel of the defense departments of Belarus, China and Uzbekistan. For the first time, teams from Afghanistan, the Republic of Guinea, Namibia, Palestine, Qatar and Equatorial Guinea came to the games.

Army Games 2021

In the 2021 season, competitions have already been held on the territory of 11 countries, including Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Uzbekistan, as well as Algeria, Vietnam, Serbia and Qatar, which hosted the competitions for the first time. Compared to the previous year, the number of teams almost doubled – there were more than 280 of them and they represented 44 states. For the first time, military personnel from six states participated in the games: Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cyprus, Malaysia, Cameroon and the Kingdom of Eswatini (former Swaziland). Three new competitions were held: “Tactical Shooter” – in army tactical shooting – a modern and dynamically developing competition, “Meridian”, in which specialists from the military topographic service compete, and “Army of Culture” – with the participation of creative teams.

Army Games 2022

For the first time, one of the competitions will be held on the South American continent – “Sniper Frontier” is entrusted to Venezuela. Three competitions are planned on the territory of the PRC: “Suvorov Onslaught”, “Sea Cup” of the Asia-Pacific Region, “Safe Route”. Kazakhstan will also host three competitions – “Masters of Artillery Fire”, “Tactical Shooter” and “Meridian”. The competition “Warrior of Peace” will be held in Armenia. The Republic of Belarus will host the competitions “Confident Reception”, “Steel Highway” and “Polar Star”. Iran will host competitions “Depth”, “Falconry” and “Sniper Frontier” for special forces units. Azerbaijan will hold a competition for crews of surface ships “Cup of the Sea”. Five competitions are planned in Uzbekistan – “True Friend”, “Master Gunsmith”, “Safe Environment”, “Field Kitchen” and “Road Patrol”. For the second year in a row, the Emergency District competition will be hosted by Vietnam. Mongolia will traditionally host the Horse Marathon competition. The remaining 12 competitions will be held on the territory of the Russian Federation.

275 teams from 37 countries have confirmed their participation in Army Games 2022. Teams from Niger and Rwanda will take part in the games for the first time.