As Indian and Chinese soldiers face off with live weapons on their border at Doklam, tank crews from both countries are locked in a test of skill in Russia – racing and firing their armoured vehicles to decide the master of the battlefield.

The backdrop to this contest is the International Army Games 2017, in which teams from about 20 armies match their skills in armoured vehicle combat, air defence and artillery shoots, infantry patrolling and sniper contests. The most prestigious of these contests is the Tank Biathlon, in which each team fields three tanks that race across a ...