Photo review about the army of Belarus, as the most powerful and prepared. Apparently there is no agreement between the Kremlin towers on the issue of Belarus. But we will admire the wonderful photographs.
1. According to various sources, the troops of the Republic of Belarus have from 1.4 to 1.6 thousand tanks. One of the most powerful tank groups in Europe is stationed in the Republic of Belarus. For example, in neighboring Poland there are about a thousand tanks. The photo shows the main tank of the Belarusian army T-72B.
2. The Air Force and Air Defense Forces of Belarus are still in service with Soviet-made aircraft. Fighter aircraft consist of Su-27, MiG-29, and strike aircraft - Su-25 attack aircraft, the landing of which is shown in the photograph.
3. After the collapse of the USSR, Belarus received an impressive arsenal of Soviet equipment. The grouping of troops of the SSRB was the rear for military bases on the territory of the GDR.
4. The photo shows a 9A52 “Smerch” crew, which is preparing for combat launches during exercises at the training ground near Baranovichi.
5. The sky over Belarus is protected by various anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM). Belarus has kept the S-200, S-125 Pechora, Buk and short-range air defense system Osa, which can be seen in the photograph, in combat-ready condition.
6. Russia and Belarus have a common air defense system. The backbone of the Belarusian air defense forces consists of the Soviet long-range air defense systems S-300PS, S-300V and Russian S-400 systems, which were delivered to the Russian Federation in June 2016.
7. A strong military alliance has developed between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. In addition to a unified air defense system, the union state has a regional grouping of troops. Belarusian military personnel take part in dozens of exercises with Russian colleagues.
8. Since 2009, Russia and Belarus have held two large-scale Zapad exercises, and a third will take place in 2017. The Belarusian opposition and some European politicians are spreading rumors that after the transfer, Russian troops will remain in Belarus or invade Ukraine.
9. The fourth generation all-weather fighter Su-27 is the most modern combat vehicle of the Belarusian aviation. In total, the Republic of Belarus has 200 combat vehicles at its disposal, about half are fighters.
10. In the Global Firepower ranking of military power, the Belarusian army is located in 49th position, below many NATO members. However, some experts argue that the combat readiness of the military personnel of the Republic of Belarus is significantly higher than the soldiers of any European army.
11. According to the Belarusian expert Alexander Alesin, 98% of the weapons in the Belarusian army are of Soviet and Russian production. Russian developers supervise its operation. Minsk receives the lion's share of military equipment from the Russian Federation free of charge.
12. The transport component is the weak link of Belarusian aviation. According to open data, the Air Force includes two Il-76s and 4 An-26s. Previously, Belarus experienced a shortage of training aircraft. In 2015-2016, Russia transferred 8 Yak-130s to the Republic of Belarus.
13. Belarusian artillery (along with tank troops) is one of the most powerful in Europe. The Belarusian army has about 100 launchers of tactical and operational-tactical missiles and 1.3 thousand artillery pieces.
14. At the end of the 1980s, the number of troops in the SSRB was more than 280 thousand people. The Helsinki Agreement of July 10, 1992 limits the number of military personnel to a limit of 100 thousand people. The current strength of the army of the Republic of Belarus does not exceed 70 thousand people.
Belarus is the only military ally of the Russian Federation in the western direction. Minsk has reduced its army several times, but has retained excellent combat potential. But what is more important here is not the number, but the readiness and quality of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus. Plus the geographical position of Belarus is very advantageous for Russia. So screw the profiteering interests of Gazprom and Rosneft when Russia’s interests are at stake.
Saved
Meanwhile, February 23 remains one of the most striking dates in our history. On this day in 1918, the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army was formed. It was this that became the decisive factor for the protection and, essentially, preservation of the Belarusian people in the harshest conditions of the twentieth century. So it is quite natural: this day in our history symbolizes the greatest feats for the glory of the Fatherland.
The date of birth of the Belarusian army itself can be considered March 20, 1992 - then the government decree “On the creation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus” was adopted. In accordance with it, the former KBVO troops began to transform into the army of an independent country. About the Belarusian army in figures, facts and comments - Violetta Sokolovich.
War is a great thing for the state, it is the ground of life and death, it is the path of existence and death. This needs to be understood. Words for thought, numbers for understanding.
The strength of the Belarusian army as of January 1, 2018 is almost 65 thousand people, of which more than 46 thousand are military personnel.
The combat strength of the army in peacetime includes ground forces - controlled by the General Staff of the Armed Forces and divided into two operational commands - Western and Northwestern. The Air Force and Air Defense Forces are the most numerous in the Belarusian army, together with auxiliary units they number 11 thousand people. By the way, our pilots set 15 world records for time to climb on a fighter - MIG-29, by the way, it was modernized in Belarus. Special Operations Forces - 6,000 thousand personnel, the most equipped branch of the military. Do not forget the transport troops, and territorial ones, the number of the latter is almost twice as large as the army itself - 120 thousand people, but this number assumes wartime. I will say that the largest unit is the brigade.
The Belarusian army is armed with 1,317 T-72 tanks of various modifications. In June 2017, military units received the latest T-72B3 tanks; now they have a more powerful power plant and a Belarusian-made Sosna-U sight. 1942 combat vehicles are 488 armored personnel carriers and 1454 infantry fighting vehicles.
Multiple launch rocket systems of various calibers - 289 units in total. Including six new Polonaises capable of hitting targets at a range of up to 300 km. In this case, the ballistic trajectory of the missile passes at an altitude of 50 kilometers. The ammunition dives onto the target almost vertically, in flight reaches five speeds of sound and is extremely resistant to interference. Today in the world there are no means capable of hitting it.
The Air Force and Air Defense Forces are one of the branches of the Armed Forces of Belarus. Designed to cover administrative, military, economic centers, troop groups from enemy air strikes, as well as to destroy enemy facilities and troops and support combat operations of ground forces. They were created in 2001. The Air Force is the anti-aircraft missile force; radio engineering; special troops and services. At the same time, the Air Force includes MiG-29s of various modifications, Su-25 attack aircraft, Yak-130 combat training aircraft, and Il-76 and An-26 military transport aircraft. Attack helicopters in the amount of 15 units, of which Mi-24 and Mi-24R.
Air defense systems are presented: the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system - 16 divisions, Tor - M2E - 4 batteries (the latest air defense system, but made in Russia), the Strela anti-aircraft missile system - 4 batteries, the Buk air defense system in the amount of four divisions. By the way, the combat crews of the divisions of the S-300 and Tor-M2 anti-aircraft missile systems, as a rule, are among the best in the exercises within the framework of the Joint Air Defense System of the CIS countries “Combat Commonwealth”.
As we have already said, special operations forces are the most equipped branch of the military in terms of the latest technology. They are armed with over 50 armored vehicles of various modifications. For example, Volat V‑1 is a promising Belarusian development of the military-industrial complex. Executed on the instructions of the Ministry of Defense and having more than 70 percent of domestically produced components, the armored vehicle went through a full test cycle, covering more than forty thousand kilometers and demonstrating high performance. To this can be added over 100 units of armored personnel carriers designed for combat operations, for overcoming water obstacles afloat, for protection from external influences, as well as for firing at air targets. Plus modern small arms, night vision devices, communication systems.
The process of equipping the Belarusian army with new and modernized weapons is continuous. Defense Minister Andrei Ravkov once announced that in recent years, an average of 25 new types of weapons and equipment have been adopted annually.
For 100 years, the Belarusian army has gone from cavalry to Polonaise. Time will tell what the next century will be like.
According to the Belarusian president, the people will not forgive the authorities if they do not ensure their security. " Therefore, if the last ruble remains in the state budget or pocket, then it should be spent on the safety of our people, on the safe life of the people. This is the main thing».
In this context, a reasonable question arises: what are the real combat capabilities of the Belarusian army? And what really needs to be done to bring its combat effectiveness in line with the requirements of the moment?
The Armed Forces of independent Belarus had a very solid base - the Red Banner Belarusian Military District (KBVO), the most powerful in the Soviet Union. He “supported” the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, stationed on the territory of the then GDR, that is, he was in the most important strategic direction at that time.
In addition to the huge armed group, on the territory of the BSSR there was an infrastructure that ensured the livelihoods and combat use of these troops if necessary. Namely: warehouses, the densest network of access roads in the USSR, reserves of military equipment intended for the deployment of an army of 500 thousand, and according to some sources, a million people.
The date of creation of the Belarusian army can be considered March 20, 1992, when the government decree “On the creation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus” was adopted. In accordance with it, the former KBVO troops began to transform into the army of an independent country.
The reform took place in two stages. At the first (1992), the troops were reduced by almost 30 thousand people, their operational purpose was determined, and basic guiding documents were developed. At the second stage (1993-1994), the reduction of the army was basically completed, its structural transformations were carried out, and the management system was reformed.
In Soviet times, the total number of troops on the territory of Belarus was more than 280 thousand military personnel, workers and employees. The concentration of military units and formations here was the highest in Europe. There was one military man for every 43 civilians. (For comparison: in Ukraine – by 98, in Kazakhstan – by 118, in Russia – by 634 people.)
A relatively small European country with a population of ten million had no need for such prohibitively large Armed Forces: it was too expensive to maintain and equip. In addition, their total number, in accordance with the final act of the Helsinki Agreement of July 10, 1992, should not have exceeded 100 thousand military personnel.
In this regard, in 1992-1996, over 250 military formations ceased to exist or were transformed, falling under the jurisdiction of Belarus. By 2005, the total strength of the Armed Forces was 62 thousand people: 48 thousand military personnel and 13 thousand civilian personnel. The strength of the Belarusian army remains within these limits to this day.
At the same time, the amount of military equipment and weapons was seriously reduced. In accordance with the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and the documents adopted in its development, Belarus agreed to limit its weapons to 1,800 tanks, 2,600 armored combat vehicles, 1,615 artillery systems, 260 combat aircraft, 80 attack helicopters.
This reduction was implemented by the beginning of 1996. Around the same time, the process of nuclear missile disarmament of Belarus was completed in accordance with agreements reached by the USSR and the USA.
Inheritance is a property
By this time, the structural reform of the army had largely been completed. Thus, combined arms and tank armies were transformed into army corps, and then operational-tactical commands were created on their basis; motorized rifle and tank divisions - into separate mechanized brigades (or into storage bases for weapons and equipment); an airborne division, a separate airborne brigade, as well as the 5th GRU special forces brigade - in the Mobile Forces (later - Special Operations Forces) as part of three mobile brigades; air divisions and regiments - to air bases.
At the final stage of reform, the powers of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff were divided, as is customary in most countries of the world. Since December 2001, the Armed Forces have transitioned to a two-service structure: ground forces and air forces and air defense forces.
Now the Armed Forces of Belarus include two operational-tactical commands (Western and North-Western), which include 3 mechanized, 2 mobile (air assault), 1 special forces, 2 missile, 5 artillery, 2 anti-aircraft missile brigades of ground forces, 3 air bases, 5 anti-aircraft missile and 2 radio technical air force and air defense brigades. (We especially emphasize: based on the experience of the first and second wars in the Persian Gulf and the Balkan war, a powerful air defense system was deployed in Belarus.)
As for recruiting the Armed Forces, we settled on a mixed principle: both through conscripts and contract soldiers. It continues to this day. This allows Belarus, if necessary, to put a substantial contingent under arms - about half a million people.
The conscription age in the country is from 18 to 27 years. A conscript who has graduated from a higher educational institution serves for 1 year, while for all others the term of service in the army is 18 months. In addition, contract service is provided in Belarus. And from the second half of 2016, an alternative service will be introduced. Spring conscription occurs in May, autumn – in November.
A unified system of military education, training and retraining of army personnel has also been created, including the training of specialized specialists at military faculties of civilian universities.
And there is something to arm all these military personnel: in the arsenals of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus there are about 1,600 tanks, 2,500 armored vehicles, 1,490 artillery systems. Even after all the cuts By the number of tanks, armored vehicles and guns per thousand military personnel, Belarus ranks first in Europe.
And its closest neighbors - Poland and Ukraine (before the events in Donbass and the associated losses) - Belarus also surpasses in the absolute number of heavy weapons of ground forces: in tanks - 1.8 and 2.1 times, respectively; for armored vehicles - 1.6 and 1.2 times; for heavy artillery systems - 2 and 1.3 times. As for another neighbor - Lithuania, there is nothing to compare here, since this NATO outpost does not have its own tanks at all, and armored vehicles and guns are “the cat’s cry.”
However, all these comparisons are rather arbitrary, since Poland and Lithuania have the entire military potential of the North Atlantic Alliance on their side. On the other hand, Belarus is an ally of a huge nuclear power – Russia. Nevertheless, these calculations fully support the thesis that the Belarusian army represents a fairly significant military force within the Eastern European region.
And this applies not only to the number of weapons. The structure and principle of recruitment of the Armed Forces of Belarus generally correspond to those accepted in Europe. In terms of training and preparation of soldiers, the Belarusian army, according to experts, is also among the most combat-ready on the continent. The main emphasis in training personnel is on actions in mobile defense conditions.
Among the priority areas for technical improvement of the Armed Forces of Belarus is the development of air defense, aviation, missile forces, forces and means of electronic warfare, reconnaissance, and communications.
Is the sword strong enough?
However, it would be biased to speak about the Belarusian army only in excellent terms. One of its main problems is the aging of weapons and military equipment (W&M), as well as the infrastructure supporting the activities of the Armed Forces. They are still Soviet; over time, the condition of weapons and military equipment is constantly deteriorating, the maintenance of their fleet is becoming more and more expensive, and more and more funds are required for repairs and modernization.
At a certain point, these costs become prohibitive. For this reason, in 2012, all and were withdrawn from the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense Forces. But a huge amount of money is needed in order to purchase new equipment to replace retired equipment. Today a combat aircraft costs 30-50 million dollars, one tank costs 2.5-3 million dollars. And we need a lot of such combat units.
S-300 air defense missile system launch complex
The poor Belarusian state cannot afford such expenses. As a result, the share of modern weapons and military equipment in the Belarusian army tends to decrease. Even high-ranking military officials are forced to admit that the pace of its rearmament is behind schedule. The situation became especially aggravated with the onset of the economic crisis.
The modernization of the Belarusian army could be accelerated by the assistance of Russia, which has an immeasurably greater potential in military science and the defense industry. It is known that Minsk has long sent Moscow orders for short-range and long-range anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs), Iskander operational-tactical systems (OTRK), etc.
The same list includes Su-30 combat aircraft, combat trainers, modernized Il-76 transport aircraft, and attack helicopters. All these samples were included in the State Rearmament Program of the Republic of Belarus for 2006-2015.
But the loss of a number of technologies and the shortage of production capacity at enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex, along with the high cost of military equipment and weapons, have become a serious obstacle to the implementation of rearmament programs for the Belarusian army at the expense of the Russian military-industrial complex. Here we should also add the economic difficulties that Russia itself has been experiencing lately.
As the Minister of Defense of the Republic Andrei Ravkov said on December 21, 2015 in an interview with the Arsenal program of Belarusian television, over the past five years, the Tor-M2 air defense system has been purchased and put into service for the country’s Air Force and Air Defense Forces as part of a division, a link (4 units .) UBS Yak-130, as well as 4 anti-aircraft missile divisions of the S-300PS air defense system from the presence of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
In the future, the leadership of the Belarusian military department hopes, despite the difficulties (their own and that of their partner), to purchase Su-30 multirole fighters from Russia, to continue purchasing Yak-130 aircraft and Tor-M2 air defense systems, as well as equipment and equipment for the needs of radio engineering troops.
According to a recent statement by the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Belarus, Major General Igor Lotenkov, Belarus and Russia have reached a preliminary agreement on the supply of Su-30 fighters for the needs of the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense Forces to replace the MiG-29s in service, which are already about 30 years old. “Having calculated how much it costs us to maintain them, we came to the conclusion that updating the fleet of aircraft, albeit in slightly smaller numbers, will not require such significant amounts of funding.”
Meanwhile, given the insignificant amount of funds that Belarus is able to allocate for the re-equipment of its Armed Forces, there is no need to talk about any significant supplies of military innovations from the Russian Federation to the Republic of Belarus. And, apparently, this situation may exist indefinitely.
And don’t be bad yourself
The situation can be at least partially corrected by the Belarusian military-industrial complex, which, along with the implementation of programs for modernizing existing military and military equipment, produces navigation instruments, flight systems, space and satellite communications, antenna devices, radio stations, on-board and stationary computer systems, automation systems and software, as well as optical-mechanical, control and assembly equipment for the manufacture of ultra-large integrated circuits.
The domestic defense industry has achieved significant results in the development of aerospace optical-electronic equipment for obtaining digital electronic maps of the Earth's surface and navigation support for high-precision weapons. Unique application software systems provide control of radar and laser-optical missile defense systems and missile attack warning stations. Currently, Belarus produces a number of special-purpose and dual-use equipment, which has no foreign analogues at all.
According to the statement of the Chairman of the State Military-Industrial Committee (GVPK) Sergei Gurulev, made on January 29, 2016 at the board of the department with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko and the head of the Ministry of Defense Andrei Ravkov, over the last five years, organizations of the military-industrial complex have created and mastered in production a whole range of new promising types of weapons and military equipment.
Specialists of OJSC "MZKT" quickly developed and prepared for production the lightly armored combat vehicle "Lis"
These are modern communication and information transmission systems (hardware communication cabin P-261 “Muscat”, radio relay station “Citrus”, radio relay station “Potok” (R-429) and “Line” (R-424), portable digital radio stations R- 180 and R-181, electronic warfare and radar equipment (“Vostok”, “Rosa-RB”, “Groza” jamming complex, “Canopy” jamming complex for radio navigation and GPS systems). Almost all of them were modernized, combined with a major overhaul. radar stations in service with the Armed Forces of Belarus.
New models of unmanned aerial vehicles “Berkut-1”, “Berkut-2” (adopted for service), “Grif-100” (delivery scheduled for 2016) have appeared. The Adunok robotic weapons system has also been brought to production readiness. Tests of the new Polonaise long-range multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) that took place in June 2015 in China confirmed the broad capabilities of this high-precision weapon.
At the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant, universal weapons mobility devices MZKT-600200 and MZKT-500200 Zastava were created and put into production. Specialists of OJSC MZKT quickly developed and prepared for production the lightly armored combat vehicle "Lis", and began designing the domestic lightly armored vehicle V-1.
The implementation of programs to extend the service life of existing weapons continues. The repair and modernization of Su-25 and MiG-29 aircraft, the modernization of the BM-21 Grad MLRS to the level of the BM-21-M Belgrade have been mastered and are being carried out. As a result, the activities of defense enterprises contributed to the adoption of about 900 units of the latest, modernized and repaired weapons and military and special equipment into service in the Armed Forces of Belarus.
But, as in the case of the purchase of Russian weapons, the main limiting factor in the process of rearmament of the Belarusian army at the expense of the potential of its own military-industrial complex is the more than modest economic capabilities of the country. According to the President of the Republic of Belarus A. Lukashenko, it would be possible to find the necessary financial resources by actively increasing the export of military and dual-use technologies. Some independent analysts do not agree with him, who believe that the problem of military modernization cannot be solved without modernizing the country as a whole.
And yet, according to a large number of experts, despite the problems described above, The armed forces of the Republic of Belarus are still one of the most combat-ready in the post-Soviet space. According to Alexander Khramchikhin, deputy director of the Institute of Political and Military Analysis, in the foreseeable future the Belarusian Armed Forces can be considered “quite successful and adequate to the geopolitical situation.”
According to the Belarusian president, the people will not forgive the authorities if they do not ensure their security. “Therefore, if the last ruble remains in the state budget or pocket, then it should be spent on the safety of our people, on the safe life of the people. This is the main thing."
In this context, a reasonable question arises: what are the real combat capabilities of the Belarusian army? And what really needs to be done to bring its combat effectiveness in line with the requirements of the moment?
FROM A SOVIET OVERCOAT
The Armed Forces of independent Belarus had a very solid base - the Red Banner Belarusian Military District (KBVO), the most powerful in the Soviet Union. He “supported” the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, stationed on the territory of the then GDR, that is, he was in the most important strategic direction at that time.
In addition to the huge armed group, on the territory of the BSSR there was an infrastructure that ensured the livelihoods and combat use of these troops if necessary. Namely: warehouses, the densest network of access roads in the USSR, reserves of military equipment intended for the deployment of an army of 500 thousand, and according to some sources, a million people.
The date of creation of the Belarusian army can be considered March 20, 1992, when the government decree “On the creation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus” was adopted. In accordance with it, the former KBVO troops began to transform into the army of an independent country.
The reform took place in two stages. At the first (1992), the troops were reduced by almost 30 thousand people, their operational purpose was determined, and basic guiding documents were developed. At the second stage (1993-1994), the reduction of the army was basically completed, its structural transformations were carried out, and the management system was reformed.
In Soviet times, the total number of troops on the territory of Belarus was more than 280 thousand military personnel, workers and employees. The concentration of military units and formations here was the highest in Europe. There was one military man for every 43 civilians. (For comparison: in Ukraine – by 98, in Kazakhstan – by 118, in Russia – by 634 people.)
A relatively small European country with a population of ten million had no need for such prohibitively large Armed Forces: it was too expensive to maintain and equip. In addition, their total number, in accordance with the final act of the Helsinki Agreement of July 10, 1992, should not have exceeded 100 thousand military personnel.
In this regard, in 1992-1996, over 250 military formations ceased to exist or were transformed, falling under the jurisdiction of Belarus. By 2005, the total strength of the Armed Forces was 62 thousand people: 48 thousand military personnel and 13 thousand civilian personnel. The strength of the Belarusian army remains within these limits to this day.
At the same time, the amount of military equipment and weapons was seriously reduced. In accordance with the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and the documents adopted in its development, Belarus agreed to limit its weapons to 1,800 tanks, 2,600 armored combat vehicles, 1,615 artillery systems, 260 combat aircraft, 80 attack helicopters.
This reduction was implemented by the beginning of 1996. Around the same time, the process of nuclear missile disarmament of Belarus was completed in accordance with agreements reached by the USSR and the USA.
INHERITANCE IS IN PROPERTY
By this time, the structural reform of the army had largely been completed. Thus, combined arms and tank armies were transformed into army corps, and then operational-tactical commands were created on their basis; motorized rifle and tank divisions - into separate mechanized brigades (or into storage bases for weapons and equipment); an airborne division, a separate airborne brigade, as well as the 5th GRU special forces brigade - in the Mobile Forces (later - Special Operations Forces) as part of three mobile brigades; air divisions and regiments - to air bases.
At the final stage of reform, the powers of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff were divided, as is customary in most countries of the world. Since December 2001, the Armed Forces have transitioned to a two-service structure: ground forces and air forces and air defense forces.
Now the Armed Forces of Belarus include two operational-tactical commands (Western and North-Western), which include 3 mechanized, 2 mobile (air assault), 1 special forces, 2 missile, 5 artillery, 2 anti-aircraft missile brigades of ground forces, 3 air bases, 5 anti-aircraft missile and 2 radio technical air force and air defense brigades. (We especially emphasize: based on the experience of the first and second wars in the Persian Gulf and the Balkan war, a powerful air defense system was deployed in Belarus.)
As for recruiting the Armed Forces, we settled on a mixed principle: both through conscripts and contract soldiers. It continues to this day. This allows Belarus, if necessary, to put a substantial contingent under arms - about half a million people.
The conscription age in the country is from 18 to 27 years. A conscript who has graduated from a higher educational institution serves for 1 year, and for all others the term of service in the army is 18 months. In addition, contract service is provided in Belarus. And from the second half of 2016, an alternative service will be introduced. Spring conscription occurs in May, autumn – in November.
(more details on legal acts related to military service can be found on the official website of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus).
A unified system of military education, training and retraining of army personnel has also been created, including the training of specialized specialists at military faculties of civilian universities.
And there is something to arm all these military personnel: in the arsenals of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus there are about 1,600 tanks, 2,500 armored vehicles, 1,490 artillery systems. Even after all the reductions in the number of tanks, armored vehicles and guns per thousand military personnel, Belarus ranks first in Europe.
And its closest neighbors - Poland and Ukraine (before the events in Donbass and the associated losses) - Belarus also surpasses in the absolute number of heavy weapons of ground forces: in tanks - 1.8 and 2.1 times, respectively; for armored vehicles - 1.6 and 1.2 times; for heavy artillery systems - 2 and 1.3 times. As for another neighbor - Lithuania, there is nothing to compare here, since this NATO outpost does not have its own tanks at all, and armored vehicles and guns are “the cat’s cry.”
However, all these comparisons are rather arbitrary, since Poland and Lithuania have the entire military potential of the North Atlantic Alliance on their side. On the other hand, Belarus is an ally of a huge nuclear power – Russia. Nevertheless, these calculations fully support the thesis that the Belarusian army represents a fairly significant military force on the scale of the Eastern European region.
And this applies not only to the number of weapons. The structure and principle of recruitment of the Armed Forces of Belarus generally correspond to those accepted in Europe. In terms of training and preparation of soldiers, the Belarusian army, according to experts, is also among the most combat-ready on the continent. The main emphasis in training personnel is on actions in mobile defense conditions.
Among the priority areas for technical improvement of the Armed Forces of Belarus is the development of air defense, aviation, missile forces, forces and means of electronic warfare, reconnaissance, and communications.
IS THE SWORD POWERFUL?
However, it would be biased to speak about the Belarusian army only in excellent terms. One of its main problems is the aging of weapons and military equipment (W&M), as well as the infrastructure supporting the activities of the Armed Forces. They are still Soviet; over time, the condition of weapons and military equipment is constantly deteriorating, the maintenance of their fleet is becoming more and more expensive, and more and more funds are required for repairs and modernization.
At a certain point, these costs become prohibitive. For this reason, in 2012, all front-line Su-24 bombers and Su-27 fighters were withdrawn from the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense Forces. But a huge amount of money is needed in order to purchase new equipment to replace retired equipment. Today a combat aircraft costs 30-50 million dollars, one tank costs 2.5-3 million dollars. And we need a lot of such combat units.
S-300 air defense missile system launch complex
The poor Belarusian state cannot afford such expenses. As a result, the share of modern weapons and military equipment in the Belarusian army tends to decrease. Even high-ranking military officials are forced to admit that the pace of its rearmament is behind schedule. The situation became especially aggravated with the onset of the economic crisis.
The modernization of the Belarusian army could be accelerated by the assistance of Russia, which has an immeasurably greater potential in military science and the defense industry. It is known that Minsk has long sent Moscow orders for short-range anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs) "Tor-M2" and long-range systems (ZRS) S-400, operational-tactical systems (OTRK) "Iskander", etc.
The same list includes Su-30 and Su-34 combat aircraft, Yak-130 combat trainers, modernized Il-76 transport aircraft, and Mi-28N attack helicopters. All these samples were included in the State Rearmament Program of the Republic of Belarus for 2006-2015.
But the loss of a number of technologies and the shortage of production capacity at enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex, along with the high cost of military equipment and weapons, have become a serious obstacle to the implementation of rearmament programs for the Belarusian army at the expense of the Russian military-industrial complex. Here we should also add the economic difficulties that Russia itself has been experiencing lately.
As the Minister of Defense of the Republic Andrei Ravkov said on December 21, 2015 in an interview with the Arsenal program of Belarusian television, over the past five years, the Tor-M2 air defense system has been purchased and put into service for the country’s Air Force and Air Defense Forces as part of a division, a link (4 units .) UBS Yak-130, as well as 4 anti-aircraft missile divisions of the S-300PS air defense system from the presence of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
In the future, the leadership of the Belarusian military department hopes, despite the difficulties (their own and that of their partner), to purchase multifunctional Su-30 fighters from Russia, to continue purchasing Yak-130 aircraft and Tor-M2 air defense systems, as well as equipment and machinery for the needs of radio engineering troops.
According to a recent statement by the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Belarus, Major General Igor Lotenkov, Belarus and Russia have reached a preliminary agreement on the supply of Su-30 fighters for the needs of the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense Forces to replace the MiG-29s in service, which are already about 30 years old. “Having calculated how much it costs us to maintain them, we came to the conclusion that updating the fleet of aircraft, albeit in slightly smaller numbers, will not require such significant amounts of funding.”
Meanwhile, given the insignificant amount of funds that Belarus is able to allocate for the re-equipment of its Armed Forces, there is no need to talk about any significant supplies of military innovations from the Russian Federation to the Republic of Belarus. And, apparently, this situation may exist indefinitely.
AND DON’T MISS YOURSELF
The situation can be at least partially corrected by the Belarusian military-industrial complex, which, along with the implementation of programs for modernizing existing military and military equipment, produces navigation instruments, flight systems, space and satellite communications, antenna devices, radio stations, on-board and stationary computer systems, automation systems and software, as well as optical-mechanical, control and assembly equipment for the manufacture of ultra-large integrated circuits.
The results of the domestic defense industry in the development of aerospace optical-electronic equipment for obtaining digital electronic maps of the Earth's surface and navigation support for high-precision weapons are significant. Unique application software systems provide control of radar and laser-optical missile defense systems and missile attack warning stations. Currently, Belarus produces a number of special-purpose and dual-use equipment, which has no foreign analogues at all.
According to the statement of the Chairman of the State Military-Industrial Committee (GVPK) Sergei Gurulev, made on January 29, 2016 at the board of the department with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko and the head of the Ministry of Defense Andrei Ravkov, over the last five years, organizations of the military-industrial complex have created and put into production a whole range of new promising types of weapons and military equipment.
Specialists of OJSC "MZKT" quickly developed and prepared for production the lightly armored combat vehicle "Lis"
These are modern communication and information transmission systems (hardware communication cabin P-261 “Muscat”, radio relay station “Citrus”, radio relay station “Potok” (R-429) and “Line” (R-424), portable digital radio stations R- 180 and R-181, electronic warfare and radar equipment (“Vostok”, “Rosa-RB”, “Groza” jamming complex, “Canopy” jamming complex for radio navigation and GPS systems). Almost all of them were modernized, combined with a major overhaul. radar stations in service with the Armed Forces of Belarus.
New models of unmanned aerial vehicles “Berkut-1”, “Berkut-2” (adopted for service), “Grif-100” (delivery scheduled for 2016) have appeared. The Adunok robotic weapons system has also been brought to production readiness. Tests of the new Polonaise long-range multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) that took place in June 2015 in China confirmed the broad capabilities of this high-precision weapon.
At the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant, universal weapons mobility devices MZKT-600200 and MZKT-500200 Zastava were created and put into production. Specialists of OJSC MZKT quickly developed and prepared for production the lightly armored combat vehicle "Fox", and began designing the domestic lightly armored vehicle V-1.
The implementation of programs to extend the service life of existing weapons continues. The repair and modernization of Su-25 and MiG-29 aircraft, the modernization of the BM-21 Grad MLRS to the level of the BM-21-M Belgrade have been mastered and are being carried out. As a result, the activities of defense enterprises contributed to the adoption of about 900 units of the latest, modernized and repaired weapons and military and special equipment into service in the Armed Forces of Belarus.
But, as in the case of the purchase of Russian weapons, the main limiting factor in the process of rearmament of the Belarusian army at the expense of the potential of its own military-industrial complex is the more than modest economic capabilities of the country. According to the President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, it would be possible to find the necessary financial resources by actively increasing the export of military and dual-use technologies. Some independent analysts do not agree with him, who believe that the problem of military modernization cannot be solved without modernizing the country as a whole.
And yet, according to a large number of experts, despite the problems described above, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus are still one of the most combat-ready in the post-Soviet space. According to Alexander Khramchikhin, deputy director of the Institute of Political and Military Analysis, in the foreseeable future the Belarusian Armed Forces can be considered “quite successful and adequate to the geopolitical situation.”
They were created after the declaration of state independence in 1991. On March 20, 1992, the government decree “On the creation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus” was adopted. On the same day, the parliament adopted the Law “On the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus”, on the basis of which their formation began.
Currently, the Belarusian army has two types of troops - the Ground Forces and the Air Force and Air Defense Forces.
The strength of the Belarusian army is 65 thousand, of which 15 thousand are civilian personnel. As of the end of 2006, 23.1% of military personnel served on a contract basis.
The Belarusian army actively participates in various exercises, both within the country (Neman - 2001, Berezina-2002, Clear Sky - 2003, Union Shield - 2006) and abroad (Combat Commonwealth).
As of July 17, 1992, the Belarusian army had 3,457 tanks, 3,824 armored combat vehicles, 1,562 artillery systems, 390 combat aircraft, 79 attack helicopters. In accordance with the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, Belarus has committed itself to significantly reducing the amount of military equipment in service.
Ground troops
In the Republic of Belarus, the Ground Forces are the largest and most versatile branch of the Armed Forces. They have great fire and striking power, high maneuverability and independence.
Ground forces are designed to solve problems of repelling enemy attacks and defeating them in the event of aggression. Using defense capabilities, the Ground Forces are able to effectively fight ground and air enemies in cooperation with the Air Force and Air Defense Forces.
Ground forces consist of combat arms (forces) and special forces. Branches of troops and special troops, depending on the nature of the tasks performed, have their own weapons, military equipment and organization.
To solve combat missions, the Ground Forces include mechanized formations, missile troops and artillery, air defense troops of the Ground Forces, electronic warfare units, special troops, units and institutions of logistics and technical support.
In turn, each branch of the military has units and subunits of reduced strength, personnel, and storage bases for weapons and equipment. Modern Ground Forces are equipped with powerful weapons to destroy ground and air targets - T-72 tanks, BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, BTR-70 and BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, artillery of various capacities and purposes, anti-tank guided missiles, anti-aircraft missiles complexes "Osa" and "Strela-10M", effective means of reconnaissance and control, modern automatic small arms.
Air Force and Air Defense Forces
According to some reports, Belarus may have 349 aircraft in service, of which 108 are 4th generation aircraft. These are 25 Su-27, 83 MiG-29, 99 Su-25, 42 Su-24. [source?] The fleet of combat helicopters (Mi-8, Mi-26) is 93 aircraft.
In December 2005, Belarus purchased 10 L-39 training aircraft from Ukraine. On December 21, 2005, they flew from the territory of Ukraine. The L-39 aircraft entered service with the training squadron formed at the 206th attack aviation base of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Belarus. The squadron personnel had previously undergone retraining to fly this type of aircraft at the Vyazemsky training center of the Russian Federation. The arrival of L-39 training aircraft has significantly expanded the training capabilities of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces flight personnel and cadets of the Belarusian Aviation Faculty of the Military Academy.
In February 2006, Belarus announced its intention to purchase from India 18 Su-30K fighters delivered there in 1997-1998. According to experts, the cost of the transaction could be about $300 million. After the purchase, the aircraft will be upgraded to the level of the Su-30 KN, which will allow the use of precision-guided munitions against ground and sea targets. The Belarusian Air Force has two-seat Su-27 UB aircraft, which are already being modified to this standard at the aircraft repair plant in the city of Baranovichi.
On February 15, 2006, during a visit to the Russian Kant airbase in Kyrgyzstan, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, Army General Vladimir Mikhailov, said that Russia has “serious intentions to have an airbase on duty in Belarus.”
In April 2006, the delivery of four divisions of S-300PS anti-aircraft missile systems to Belarus began, an agreement on which was reached in the spring of 2005. They were transferred free of charge from the reserves of the Russian Ministry of Defense, where they were in long-term storage. After which, with the participation of Russian and Belarusian specialists, preventive work was carried out and the service life was extended. All work was carried out at the expense of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus. The deployment of complexes with a total of 24 launchers will be completed by December 1, 2006. Two divisions will be located in the Brest area, two more in the Grodno area. After placing the complexes on combat duty, the affected area of the joint air defense system of the CIS countries will move 150 kilometers to the west, and the detection zone will move 400 kilometers.