Tank Biathlon challenge may intensify

The People's Liberation Army will need to send its best tank, the Type-99 main battle tank, to the Russian-hosted Tank Biathlon next year if Western nations dispatch their top tanks to the competition, military observers said.

This suggestion followed a report in Rossiyskaya Gazeta, a Russian government-run daily newspaper, that some NATO countries were likely to take part in next year's International Military Games. The event's Tank Biathlon is the biggest attraction to observers and military fans.

Several observers at this years' International Military Games, including Germany, have expressed an interest in attending the contest next year, while other nations, such as Brazil and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, have decided to take part, the Russian newspaper reported on Monday.