About 200 units of Russia’s cutting-edge military hardware have hit the ground in Moscow region for rehearsal of Victory Day celebrations which are set to take place on the Russian capital's Red Square on May 9.
The preparatory training exercises took place in Alabino area, Moscow Region, on Wednesday and saw various army vehicles. They included T-90 battle tanks, GAZ-2975 Tigr armored vehicles, BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, and 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzers.
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A range of Russia’s missile systems, including Iskander, Tor, Buk, S-400 Triumph and Topol-M were part of the rehearsal.
Also on Wednesday, the town of Kubinka, Moscow Region, saw a ‘flying’ parade rehearsal. Mikoyan MiG-29 jet fighters, Yakovlev Yak-130 subsonic jet trainers and the Mil Mi-28H attack helicopters were involved in training exercises. The 'Swifts' and 'Russian Knights' aerobatic groups were performing stunt maneuvers.
V-Day parade will not only be the presentation of Russia’s top hardware. At least 16,000 troops from the Russian Armed Forces are taking part in the ceremony.
The Victory Day parade in Moscow will feature Russia's newest, most advanced weaponry, among them T-14 Armata battle tanks, T-15 heavy infantry combat vehicles, Kurganets-25 light tracked armored vehicles and Boomerang light-wheeled armored vehicles and Coalition-SV 152mm self-propelled howitzers.
READ MORE: 1st PHOTO: Russia’s secretive Armata battle tank revealed
The Armata is certain to make a splash. After five years of development, it’s finally made it to Russia’s 2015 defense shopping list. While the exact characteristics and appearance of the platform remain classified, glimpses of the tank and its description have been leaking to the press since the beginning of the year. This week the Defense Ministry released the Armata’s first images.