Russia's tank biathlon was cancelled again due to tank shortages
Known in Russia as tank biathlon, this sports discipline was created by Moscow and took place regularly every year from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, the Russian Federation cancelled the competition for the first time, and now it is doing so again. The reason for this decision is the lack of tanks.
Among the world's strangest sports, one can list a range of unusual disciplines, including wife carrying (eukonkanto), cheese rolling (chasing a cheese wheel down a hill), and even chess boxing. Tank biathlon, a military sports discipline invented by the Russians, can be added without hesitation. The 10-year history of this sport is slowly fading as, for another year in a row, the Russian Federation has decided to cancel the event.
Tank biathlon in Russia
What exactly is a tank biathlon? First, it is necessary to start with the goal of this discipline. The Russians invented it to instil a fighting spirit in soldiers, improve their skills, and test various military tactics.
In practice, tank biathlon involves moving a tank over a specific area and shooting guns and rifles at stationary targets that symbolize combat vehicles and helicopters. The competition has strict rules and several stages for testing accuracy, speed, and crew cooperation.
A series of failures and a display of Russian machine quality
So, tank biathlon may sound like a dangerous sport—and it is. During the last competition in 2022, spectators experienced a moment of terror when a technical failure caused one of the tanks participating in the biathlon, a T-72B3, to point its loaded gun towards the stands. Ultimately, no one was hurt.
Nothing happened to the stationary targets either, as in 2020, the best Russian tanks failed to demonstrate accuracy. The 9M119 anti-tank guided missiles of the T-80BWM tank were not accurate enough to hit a target approximately 1.6 kilometres away. The Russians faced similar embarrassment in 2022 when, under competitive training conditions, combat vehicles K-17 showed inferior accuracy.
The competition will not be held for the second year in a row
The last tank biathlon took place in 2022. Now, according to the Defense Express portal, the Russians are cancelling this year's edition of the event for the second year in a row. Although last year, the Russian Federation announced that the games would be held every two years, apparently, the authorities have decided to change their minds.
The most likely reason for this decision is the massive losses of Russian armoured vehicles (tanks and combat vehicles). The Oryx portal reports that since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the Russians have lost over 2,000 machines. The list includes cars that appeared at the tank games, primarily the popular T-72B3 and T-80BWM, among the best machines in the Russian arsenal.
The first of these machines is a tank equipped with a modern fire control system, Sosna-U, based on Western Catherine-FC thermal cameras. Its defensive capabilities are handled by the 2A45M-5 smoothbore gun, which has a stabilisation system designed to ensure greater accuracy.
The T-80BWM is another of the best Russian tanks and the latest version of the basic T-80. The machines are adapted to use new APFSDS projectiles and have dual-layer Relikt armour, which protects the crew against tandem-charge warheads. Significantly, T-80BWM tanks are powered by a gas turbine that can operate on almost any fuel.
