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Int’l phase of Russian Aviadarts military show to be held July 22-28

MOSCOW, July 21,/ITAR-TASS/. The international stage of the Aviadarts military show will be held on July 22-28 as part of the all-army flight training competition initiated by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

The purpose of the event is to show skills in aerial reconnaissance, navigation, piloting and ground target engagement.

“Thirty-three helicopter crews have arrived at Voronezh’s Baltimore military aerodrome of the Russian Western Military District,” its spokesperson, Colonel Oleg Kochetkov said on Monday.

More than 50 fighter, bomber and attack plane crews, including those from Belarus and China, are getting ready for the competition. More than 50 pieces of military hardware will pose as targets.

Russian Navy crews and foreigners will for the first time participate in the show this year.

Tank biathlon, the ground version of Aviadarts, allows tank crews to compete in operating combat vehicles and destroying targets. Like social advertisements, such shows are called upon to make military service more prestigious and seem to be achieving the goal. The number of draft dodgers in Russia has decreased by 20% since December 2013. The number of personnel serving under contract is also growing and can reach about half a million by 2020.