MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/. The sixth International Military and Technical Forum Army-2020 will begin its work on Sunday in the Patriot Park near Moscow.

The event will continue until August 29. During the first three days, only experts and official delegations will take part. After that, the forum will open for the general public.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday that Army-2020 would be the first international-level defense exhibition held this year. Guests and participants from over 92 countries are expected. 18 national delegations will be led by defense ministers or their deputies. Over 1,500 Russian and foreign companies will showcase over 28,000 pieces of military hardware and weaponry.

According to the Russian government’s official website, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will take part in the official opening ceremony of Army-2020 and the International Army Games. The exhibition will also be attended by Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov and other officials.

 

Anti-epidemic measures

All the necessary anti-coronavirus measures, approved by Russia’s sanitary watchdog Rospotrebnadzor and the Russian Health Ministry, will be in place during the event. All participants and guests will be obliged to wear face masks. Foreign delegates and visitors, as well as journalists covering the event, will be required to have a document certifying their negative coronavirus status.

Visitors will have to have their body temperature measured. Sanitizers will be available. Besides, public spaces were organized in a fashion that would facilitate observing the 1.5-meter social distancing requirement.

Over 180 medical workers will be on duty, including ten ambulance teams.

 

International Army Games

Contrary to previous years, the Army forum and the International Army Games will begin simultaneously in 2020. The games will end on September 30. A total of 156 teams representing 32 countries will take part in 30 competitions.

For the first time, teams from Afghanistan, Qatar, Equatorial Guinea, Palestine, Namibia and Guinea will take part. Six competitions will be held on the territory of four foreign countries: Warrior of Peace in Armenia, Sea Cup - in Azerbaijan, Polar Star and Sniper Frontier - in Belarus, Military Medical Relay Race and Road Patrol - in Uzbekistan. The remaining 24 competitions will be held on the territory of Russia.

The main jury comprises delegates from all the 32 participating states.

The event’s most spectacular competition - Tank Biathlon - will begin on the opening day. The first group of participants comprises Belarus, Serbia, Azerbaijan and China. Russia will join the competition on August 25, competing against Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Over 100 tanks were prepared for Russian and foreign teams. Teams from Belarus and China will use their own tanks in the competition.

 

New equipment

The overall area of the event’s static exhibition was increased by more than 60,000 square meters this year, to over 320,000 square meters.

During the forthcoming Army-2020 forum, the KBP Instrument Design Bureau’s display will feature the Hermes high-precision guided missile system with over-the-horizon range of up to 100 km. KBP will also display its Planshet-A artillery fire control system and the Parallax guidance and surveillance system, which uses virtual reality glasses to achieve the effect of "transparent armor."

TsNIITochMash will unveil 9x19mm pistols developed on the platform of the Udav army handgun, the Aspid sports gun and the Poloz self-loading combat pistol designed for the Interior Ministry and the Russian Guard.

High Precision Systems Company (a part of Rostec) will demonstrate the civilian version of the OSV-96 sniper rifle: the MTs-567 gun. The carbine has a folding design: it can be folded within several seconds for its transportation, with its length shrinking by a third. It has an accuracy range of 1,800 meters and a five-round magazine.

The Kalashnikov Group will demonstrate this year a prototype of a new RPL-20 hand-held machine-gun, a new AK-19 assault rifle chambered for NATO’s 5.56x45 mm rounds and Russia’s first smart rifle with the option of synchronizing it with gadgets.

Besides, the forum will showcase the new Antey-4000 air defense system, the Strela family of light armored vehicles, the Haska-10 multi-purpose sidewall hovercraft with flexible skegs and several families of drones for the Russian armed forces, including Helios, Grom and Altius.

The United Shipuilding Corporation will unveil models of the export version of the Grachonok-class anti-saboteur boat and the P-750B small attack submarine.