RYAZAN, September 3. /TASS/. The results of the first four stages of the Aviadarts contest running as part of the 2020 International Army Games testify to the increased professionalism of combat pilots from Russia and Belarus, the contest’s press office reported on Thursday.

The scores were compared to the results of the previous competition held last year. As the press office’s data indicate, the flight personnel’s skills increased by 20% among attack aircraft pilots and by 12% among helicopter crews. Also, Russian helicopter pilots improved their flying techniques by 15% and visual air reconnaissance skills by 35%.

The Belarusian crews improved their air navigation skills by 10% while their scores in air reconnaissance grew four-fold, the press office said.

The Russian and Belarusian teams also "improved almost twofold their skills of combat employment against ground targets," the contest’s press office said.

The teams from Russia and Belarus are participating in the Aviadarts competition. The contest’s results will be summed up on September 5. The Russian team is in the lead after the first four stages of the contest: air reconnaissance, the piloting technique, navigation and search and rescue operations. The fifth stage that includes delivering strikes against ground targets has been completed but its results have not been announced yet.

The Russian crews from the Novosibirsk Region flying Mi-8 helicopters demonstrated a record result in the competition’s entire history: they scored 253 points at the stage of delivering strikes against ground targets.