Why doesn't NATO participate in tank biathlon ? It's a good way to build trust and know each others capabilities.
Or are they afraid of losing to the Russians?
We're incredibly afraid of loosing to the Russians, obviously.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tank_biathlon#Medalist_table
Did I mention competitors in this biathlon mainly use T-64 T-72, T-80, T-90 or similar tanks (e.g. Type 96)?
The first international tank biathlon competition was held 12–17 August 2013, with four teams from Russia (T-64, T-72, T-80, T-90, in variety of versions), Armenia (T-72B mod, T-90S), Belarus (T-72B, T-80) and Kazakhstan (T-72B3).
The 1st Tank Biathlon World Championship took place 4–16 August 2014. 41 nations received an invitation and 12 sent representatives. Every competitor (except Teams China and Russia) received a T-72B tank in the biathlon color scheme. Team Russia piloted the newest modification, T-72B3, and Team China brought their own Type 96A.
The 2nd Tank Biathlon World Championship took place 1–15 August 2015. All teams were piloting upgraded T-72B3 tanks, excluding Team China which continued to field its own Type 96A
The 3rd Tank Biathlon World Championship took place 30 July–13 August 2016: likewise.
Competition rules (also for 4th edition 2017) state:
- The Contest team includes:
- The head of the Contest team;
- Representatives of the Contest team (four tank crews each (three Basic and one spare) (twelve people);
- Coaching group (two people); Technical support department (six people)
- The competition is held on a T-72 tank or similar technique (hereinafter - tank) When firing, ammunition is used to the gun with initial speed of the projectile that does not exceed 1000 m / s
See
http://tank-biathlon.com/tankovyiy-biatlon/
Please investigate how many of 29 present NATO countries use a three man tank (e.g. T-64, T-72, T-80, T-90 or similar tank like PT-91, TR-85, M-84).
In 1949, there were 12 founding members of the Alliance: Belgium (no tanks), Canada (Leopard 2 A4+/A4M/A6M), Denmark (Leopard 2 A5), France (3-man AMX LeClerc), Iceland (no tanks), Italy (Iveco/OtoMelara C1 Ariete), Luxembourg (no tanks), the Netherlands (Leopard 2 A7), Norway (Leopard 2 A4NO), Portugal (Leopard 2 A6, M60 A3 TTS), the United Kingdom (BAE Challenger 2) and the United States (GD M1 Abrams A2SEPv2 and M1A1).
The other member countries are: Greece (Leopard 2 A4/A6HEL, Leopard 1A5/GR, M60A3 TTS, M48A5 MOLF) and Turkey (Altay, modernized Leopard 1 & 2, M60 & M48) (both joined 1952), Germany (1955; Leopard 2 A6/A6M/A7), Spain (1982; Leopard 2 A4/A6+ aka 2E), the Czech Republic (T-72 M1/M4CZ), Hungary (T-72 M/M1) and Poland (Leopard 2 A4/A5, PT-91, T-72M) (all three joined 1999), Bulgaria (T-72M2), Estonia (no tanks), Latvia (no tanks), Lithuania (no tanks), Romania (TR-85M1, TR-85, TR-580, T-55 AM/AM2), Slovakia (T-72M1) and Slovenia (M-84, M-55S) (all seven joined 2004), Albania (T-59, T-55, T-54) and Croatia (M-84 A4/A5 ) (both joined 2009), and Montenegro (2017; no tanks).
So, out of 29 NATO members, there are just 10 operating tanks with a 3 man crew, of which 9 are based on the T-72. Of these 9, ar least 1 (Poland) is already moving to Leopard 2, while others modernize their locally built, sometimes modernized T-72 versions. With the exception of France, these 9 are all former Warsaw Pact / Eastern Bloc countries. Of the other 19 NATO members, 7 small countries use no tanks at all and 12 use tanks with non-automated main guns and 4-man crews. Of these 12, 9 use some Leopard 2 variant. A manually loaded 120mm smoothbore high pressure tank gun is used by 13 NATO countries. It's simply a different tank philosophy and why would NATO participate in that?
Perhaps Canada should reinstate the Canadian Army Trophy tank gunnery competition established to foster excellence, camaraderie and competition among the armoured forces (of the NATO countries in Western Europe).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Army_Trophy
