MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Russian University of Spetsnaz (RUS) in the Chechen Republic town of Gudermes, recently showcased at the Army-2017 military expo, attracted a lot of attention from official delegations, law-enforcement agencies and private military enterprises from African and Middle Eastern countries, Daniel Martynov, an adviser on security forces to the head of the Chechen Republic, told Sputnik.
From August 22-27, Moscow Region’s Patriot Congress and Exhibition Center hosted the Army-2017 international defense industry forum. The event featured a scientific and business program, as well as an exhibition showcasing the latest hi-tech military advancements. More than 500,000 people, including 65 official military delegations, 35 of them led by high-ranking officials and 20 led by defense ministers were in attendance.
Internationsl interest
The center, sprawling across more than 400 hectares, will become the world’s largest private center specializing in training law-enforcement agencies as well as being a base for comprehensive civil athletic training for regional and national teams, once all construction is completed in 2018.
"At the Army-2017 expo … most delegations with whom we talked and reached preliminary agreements on training based on our infrastructure and on deliveries of the Chaborz buggy, were from Africa and the Middle East," Martynov said.
He stressed that official delegations and private military enterprises from countries including Algeria, Ghana, Guinea, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates expressed great interest in cooperation.
Martynov also pointed out that the location of the center was not chosen randomly as the Chechen Republic’s experience of combating international terrorism could be of great advantage in the training of special forces of Russia and its allies.
Domestic tourism
The center could help attract visitors interested in extreme sports to the region, according to Martynov.
"We were happy to note the interest of big Russian companies in offering their employees the opportunity to explore corporate extreme sports at our training facilities, since in addition to training military personnel and athletes, our university will be open to all those who wish to practice military-inspired sports… Our services, among other things, will include tourist travel packages with options to visit different areas of the Chechen Republic, for example, the mountains," Daniel Martynov said.
He also said that the university launched a project called "15 Peaks of the Caucasus" noting that it would serve as a "powerful impetus for the development of the tourism industry in the Chechen Republic."
According to Martynov, as of today, the construction of the Russian University of Spetsnaz is proceeding at an accelerated pace, with many facilities ready for use. The shooting galleries as well as the tactical town with sets of infrastructure typical of cities and villages are fully operational.
"The construction of the airfield and its own aerodynamic facility for paratroopers’ training is also near to its completion. We expect to hold the national parachuting championship there," Martynov said.
According to the official, the university has built an obstacle course for "The Race of Heroes" project, based on similar courses used for special forces training.
"The project was not only met with great interest by the residents of the North Caucasus but it also hosted teams and guests from other regions of Russia. Some 2,400 participants have already run 10 kilometers, making their way through 37 complex obstacles over natural terrain and a mountain river," Martynov said.
Educational programs
The official added that the university was involved in developing various teaching methodologies and licensing educational programs.
"For example, this summer, we tested and launched a tactical medical treatment course for the military," Martynov said.
According to him, the university would hold different courses on medical treatment, ranging between basic first aid courses and programs for paramedics.
