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????RYAZAN, August 6 (ChinaMil) -- The first stage of the "Airborne Platoon" competition for field operation skills was concluded at Dubrovichi range in Ryazan, Russia on August 4, 2015. The Chinese airborne troops ranked the first in terms of overall performance.
????The "Airborne Platoon" competition is one of 12 events of the International Army Games 2015 and the contests of the first stage includes accelerated march with obstacle overcoming, shooting with small arms for accuracy and race on combat vehicles.
????The teams from China, Russia and Belarus competed with each other in the contests of the first stage.
????The Chinese airborne troops performed excellently in the five-kilometer accelerated march, overcoming obstacles and shooting with small arms on that day. The Chinese team left the Russian team far behind in the contest of shooting with small arms after seven out of the nine 40mm rocket shells launched by the Russian participants missed the targets.
????Plus its parachuting score on August 3, the Chinese team won the first place with a total score of 1 hour 18 minutes and 17 seconds, which was 17 minutes 15 seconds ahead of the Russian team that ranked the second.
????The performance of the Chinese team on August 4 was appreciated by its rivals. The deputy leader of the Byelorussian team commented that the outstanding performance of the Chinese paratroopers showed "they are fully prepared and well trained ".
????In comparison with the scores, Wen Dong, commander of an airborne division of the Chinese PLA, attached more importance to the "benefits" the Chinese team would get from the competition. He told the reporter that the purpose of the Chinese airborne troops' participation in the "Airborne Platoon" was to carry out exchange of military skills with the foreign participating teams, and find shortcomings in training and equipment maintenance so as to upgrade the training level in the future.
????Major general Dmitry Gorbatenko, chief umpire of the Russian International Army Games 2015, also expressed similar opinions. He said that the competitions will not only help enhance the combat capability of the Russian and Chinese soldiers, but also promotes mutual trust which is conducive to the Russia-China "side-by-side cooperation" in peaceful time.
????The Russian International Army Games 2015, organized and sponsored by the Russian Ministry of Defense, has attracted more than 2,000 soldiers from 17 countries including China. Its 12 events are simultaneously held in ten regions of Russia from August 1 to 15.
