In the current situation, military personnel should not be distracted from combat training, experts believe
The international competitions of military units "Army Games" will not take place this year. The troops did not even hold qualifying competitions. No events were held last year either. At that time, the military department promised that the competitions would be held every two years starting from 2024. Experts note that military specialists are now needed in the zone of a special military operation and the summer months are better used for combat training.
Without distracting the military
The Army International Games will not be held this year, three sources familiar with the situation told Izvestia. According to the interlocutors, the qualifying competitions, which usually take place in the first half of the year at the level of units, formations, armies, fleets and districts, have not been held since the beginning of the year.
The Ministry of Defense has not reported anything about the fate of the "Army Games" this year. Izvestia sent a request to the agency.
Last spring, there were unofficial reports that the competitions were canceled for 2023 and they should be held in 2024 due to the fact that it was decided to hold the Army International Games every two years.
Photo: TASS/Peter Kovalev
Image source: iz.ru
In August last year, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said that from 2024 the games would be held in even-numbered years.
"As you remember, we also have "Army Games". We are holding them starting next year in even-numbered years. Bringing together three events at one time in one place will have a great effect. It was the wish of our partners, and we saw the logic in this decision," Fomin said on the Zvezda TV channel, referring to three events: the Army Games themselves, the Army International Military Technical Forum and the Moscow Security Conference.
— By themselves, these games distract a large number of military personnel from completing tasks, — an associate professor of the Russian University of Economics told Izvestia. Plekhanova Colonel Alexander Perendzhiev. — And now the tense situation, the United States and NATO are increasingly involved in the conflict with Russia, it is unknown what this will result in. Therefore, the main thing now is to focus not on the games, but directly on the exercises themselves. The summer and autumn period will now be devoted to intensive combat training. We are talking about speeding up issues related to a special military operation. And trained fresh forces should be brought in there. There should be constant rotation.
Photo: TASS/Sergey Fadeichev
Image source: iz.ru
Before the new units enter the battle, they must be trained to skillfully smash the enemy in the zone of a special military operation, the expert added.
— But in general, we must be ready to repel threats along the entire perimeter of our borders. Therefore, it was decided that now is not the time for the games. Of course, we will return to them, but only after the end of the special military operation," concluded Alexander Perendzhiev.
The last time the games were held was in 2022, said military expert Vasily Dandykin.
Photo: TASS/Peter Kovalev
Image source: iz.ru
— Now the skill is determined on the battlefield, — he explained to Izvestia. — This is the right decision. It was adopted under the former Minister of Defense, and the new one agreed with it. We decided that now is not the time. For example, all the best tankmen are there, including the winners of the "Tank Biathlon" — they are fighting heroically. We will win, and then we will see what to do. I don't know what will happen to the Army 2024 exhibition, but it is still on the agenda. We'll wait and see.
34 competitions on the territory of 12 states
The International Army Games are complex competitions between units of the armed forces of different states. They have been held since 2015. The last time the competition was held was in the summer of 2022. Representatives of 38 countries took part in them. In total, 34 competitions were held within the framework of the competitions on the territory of 12 states.
Teams from Russia, Iran, China, Syria, Venezuela and India participated in the Depth 2022 competition. A competition "Masters of artillery fire" was held in Kazakhstan. Algeria hosted the "Landing Platoon" competition, which was attended by teams from 16 countries.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Kirill Kallinikov
Image source: iz.ru
The Engineering Formula 2022 competition was held in the Volgograd Region. Teams from Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan and the Lao People's Democratic Republic competed for the victory in the final relay.
The Baltic Fleet hosted the "Marine Landing – 2022" competition. Military personnel from Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Tajikistan, South Ossetia and Guinea took part in it.
In China, military engineers took part in the "Safe Route" competition. In Mongolia, the hosts of the championship and cavalrymen from Zimbabwe participated in the Equestrian Marathon competition. In Belarus, the contests "Steel Highway" and "Confident reception" were held, in Kazakhstan — "Tactical Shooter". A Military Rally driver competition was held in Mongolia.
The most famous and most massive competition within the framework of the "Army Games" was the "Tank Biathlon", in which teams from 22 countries took part in 2022.
Vladimir Matveev
Roman Kretsul
Bogdan Stepovoy
