MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The 2016 International Army Games are expected to take place from August 1 to 15. As many as 23 competitions will be held during this time at military training grounds, as well as in the Caspian and Black seas.
"Austria, Algeria, Vietnam, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Cuba, Namibia, the Union of Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa will send their observation delegations," the Main Directorate for Combat Training of the Armed Forces said, adding that 19 states confirmed they would join the competition.
According to the directorate, 17 states refused to send observer delegates to the games.
The first International Army Games competition was held in August 2015 at the initiative of the Russian Defense Ministry, and attracted more than 2,000 participants from 57 teams of 17 countries. Eleven different locations across Russia hosted stages of the contest.
