KALININGRAD, August 2. /TASS/. Russia’s marines are leading in the first stage of the International Army Games’ 2016 Seaborne Assault contest that is held at the Khmelevka range of the Russian Baltic Fleet in the Kaliningrad region, the fleet spokesman Roman Martov told TASS on Tuesday.
"The ‘black beret’ team of the Russian Navy that scored 39 points won the first stage of the Seaborne Assault international professional skills competition among the marine units. Chinese marines, who scored two points less, are second. They are followed by the military from Kazakhstan, Iran and Venezuela who scored 29, 18 and 11 points, correspondingly," Martov said.
The chief referee of the contest - commander of the coastal defense troops of the Russian Navy, Lieutenant General Alexander Kolpachenko said that the first stage - Obstacle Course - determined the military servicemen’s individual rating. Each member of the participating teams in full gear with the service weapon and clad in a bullet-proof vest had to clear a 1,200-meter specialized course of 19 obstacles of different complexity.
The contest comprises four stages. On Wednesday, August 3, the five countries’ marines will participate in the Survival Trail field training competitions. Then they will have the Pursuit Race that will determine the best crews of combat vehicles and the Relay Race that will determine the most cohesive team.
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More than 200 troops and more than 20 combat equipment units are involved in the contest. All the teams, except the Chinese, will use Russian armored personnel carriers. The Chinese-made equipment and small arms were delivered for the military from China to the Baltic Fleet by a ferry. The contest will end on August 13.
The International Army Games are held between July 30 and August 13 simultaneously at 20 training grounds, where 19 of them are at three Russia’s military districts: Western, Southern and Central: from Siberia to Kaliningrad in the west and from St. Petersburg to Sevastopol in Crimea.
Naval competitions take place in the waters of the Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas. This year, unlike in previous years, the Games take place in two countries - in Russia and in Kazakhstan. The Games’ program has 23 competitions in field, air and marine training. Eleven countries have sent over their representatives to observe the competitions. A total of 121 teams from 19 countries participate in 23 contests of the Games.
The largest teams are from China and Kazakhstan. The Chinese military take part in 22 competitions, and the team from Kazakhstan - in 21. The Russian team is involved in all the 23 competitions.