The army must be ready to confront the challenges, risks and threats that may arise in relation to the state. The Belarusian army is constantly improving in this regard. However, the development of the country's military potential is a continuous process, President Alexander Lukashenko said at a solemn meeting dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armed Forces of Belarus.
This is due to the situation developing both in the world and directly at the borders of the republic. “By virtue of its geographic location and openness, Belarus is subject to the influence of the majority of political events taking place abroad,” he stated.
Taking these factors into account, the defense department constantly organizes various combat training events, and also optimizes the organizational and staff structure of the armed forces.
So, on February 1, the first stage of a comprehensive check of combat readiness was completed in the Armed Forces of Belarus, during which the personnel of the units solved a number of combat training tasks, performed control firing from the weapons of infantry fighting vehicles, tanks, small arms and grenade launchers. First of all, military units and subdivisions of constant readiness were involved in the check.
And already on March 12, in accordance with the instructions of the President of the Republic of Belarus, the next stage of verification of the armed forces began. The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Belarus, Lieutenant General Andrei Ravkov, was handed an order from the head of state to carry out practical verification measures. Within its framework, the technical condition of weapons and military equipment contained in arsenals and bases is monitored, and it is also planned to call in from the reserve about 2 thousand conscripts.
The check is comprehensive in nature, covering the most important issues of combat readiness and daily activities of the Belarusian army. Particular attention will be paid to assessing the capabilities of the forces and means of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces to cover the administrative-industrial areas and prevent acts of air terrorism.
From March 17 to March 18, the duty units of the immediate reaction forces of the mechanized brigades were checked. At this stage, the main goal was to test the practical actions of the duty units, as well as their real readiness and ability to perform their tasks as intended in the shortest possible time.
“We live in an era of large-scale redistribution of the world. Classical international law and its foundation - the sovereignty of the state - are deliberately and deliberately undermined. The factor of military strength has grown enormously,”said Alexander Lukashenko.
Today, the militarization of Eastern Europe is openly carried out, where additional military contingents with offensive weapons are being deployed. And although Belarus does not consider any of the states as an adversary, official Minsk is ready to defend its national interests, including by armed means, if required.
One of the priority directions in the development of the Armed Forces is equipping them with new as well as modernized weapons and equipment. Today it is very important to have high-precision weapons, moreover, of our own production. The result of this activity was the domestic multiple launch rocket system "Polonez", which makes it possible to hit targets at a distance of 300 km.
For the development of air defense, a new medium-range air defense system has been created, capable of destroying all types of aircraft, including UAVs and cruise missiles. Work continues in Belarus on the modernization and testing of shock and reconnaissance unmanned aircraft systems, the creation of a cruise missile. In addition, a line of Belarusian light armored vehicles has been developed.
The current year will be no less intense in terms of operational and combat training. Along with various trainings and exercises of the tactical level, the main event of the year is the command post exercise of the Armed Forces, in which almost all structural elements take part. Along with this, it is planned to participate in events under the CSTO.
Organizing various exercises, including multilateral ones, the Belarusian side proceeds from the fact that Belarus ensures military security both independently and on the basis of existing agreements within the framework of the Union State and membership in the CSTO.
“The main goal until 2020 is the creation of a compact, mobile, highly trained and well-equipped army capable of countering new challenges and threats, including“hybrid threats,”emphasized Defense Minister Lieutenant General Andrei Ravkov.
