After the formal end of the Cold War, the liquidation of the Warsaw Pact and the collapse of the Soviet Union, it seemed to many that the world would never again be threatened by the likelihood of a global war. However, the threat of the spread of extremist ideology, the advance of NATO to the East and other challenges led to the fact that a number of republics of the former USSR decided to unite their efforts in terms of ensuring their defense capability.
On May 15, 1992, in Tashkent, the heads of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan signed a Collective Security Treaty. In 1993, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Georgia joined the agreement. However, subsequently Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan left the ranks of the organization. On May 14, 2002, at a session of the member states in Moscow, it was decided to create a full-fledged international structure with the formation of a legal status - the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Currently, the organization includes: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
At the moment, the closest cooperation in the field of air defense is carried out by Russia with Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia. Interaction with Belarus is carried out in the direction of creating a Unified Air Defense System of the Union State, to which other countries can be connected in the future. At the moment, the Unified Regional Air Defense System of the Russian Federation and Belarus is functioning in the Eastern European region of collective security. On January 29, 2013, an Agreement was signed on the creation of a Unified Regional Air Defense System between Russia and Kazakhstan. In the future, it is envisaged to create such systems in the Caucasian and Central Asian regions, which is the direction of the development of the unified air defense system of the CIS countries.
Cooperation with Belarus currently has the highest priority to ensure the inviolability of our air borders from the western direction. In 1991, the airspace of the USSR from the western direction, strategic and military facilities on the territory of Belarus were defended by two air defense corps: the 11th and 28th - from the 2nd separate air defense army. The main task of the air defense units and subunits stationed in Belarus was to prevent the breakthrough of air attack weapons into the interior of the country and to the capital of the USSR. With this in mind, the most modern equipment and weapons were supplied to the units of the USSR air defense forces stationed in Belarus. Thus, in the 2nd Air Defense OA, military and state tests of the Vector, Rubezh and Senezh automated control systems took place. In 1985, the anti-aircraft missile regiments of the 2nd Air Defense OA, previously armed with the S-75M2 / M3 air defense system, began to switch to the S-300PS air defense system. In 1990, the pilots of the 61st Air Defense Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 2nd Separate Air Defense Army, who had previously flown the MiG-23P and MiG-25PD, began mastering the Su-27P. At the beginning of 1992, the 61st IAP had 23 Su-27Ps and four combat training "twin" Su-27UBs.
By the time of gaining independence, two air defense fighter regiments were deployed on the territory of the republic, where, in addition to the Su-27P, the MiG-23P and MiG-25PD were operated. Three anti-aircraft missile brigades and three regiments were armed with the S-75M3, S-125M / M1, S-200VM and S-300PS air defense systems. In total, there were more than 40 anti-aircraft battalions in stationary positions. The control of the air situation and the issuance of target designation was carried out by the radar posts of the 8th radio technical brigade and the 49th radio technical regiment. In addition, the 2nd Air Defense Army had the 10th separate electronic warfare battalion. Electronic warfare equipment could suppress the operation of aviation radio-technical systems, communications and navigation, thus making it difficult for the enemy's air attack means to fulfill a combat mission.
In August 1992, the 2nd Separate Air Defense Army and the Air Defense Directorate of the Ground Defense of the Belarusian Military District were merged into the command of the Air Defense Forces of the Republic of Belarus. However, the Soviet military legacy turned out to be excessive for the poor republic. Simultaneously with the first generation C-75 air defense systems, all MiG-23 and MiG-25 were decommissioned by the mid-90s. In 2001, the Air Force and Air Defense Forces of Belarus were combined into one type of armed forces, which was supposed to improve interaction and increase combat effectiveness. In the 21st century, the 61st airbase in Baranovichi became the main base of fighter aircraft. In 2012, one and a half dozen Belarusian Su-27Ps were decommissioned and sent “for storage”. The officially announced reason for this decision was the too high cost of operating the Su-27P and the excessively long flight range for a small country. In fact, specialized heavy interceptor fighters needed repair and modernization, there was no money in the treasury for this, and it was not possible to agree on free repairs with the Russian side. In 2015, information appeared about plans to return the Su-27P to service, but this was never done.
In addition to the Su-27P air defense interceptors, during the division of Soviet military property, the republic in 1991 received more than 80 MiG-29 fighters of various modifications. Subsequently, some of the "extra" MiG-29s were sold abroad. In total, Algeria and Peru got 49 fighters from the Belarusian Air Force. As of 2017, there were about two dozen MiG-29s in the combined Air Force and Air Defense of the Republic of Belarus. In 2015, the fighter fleet of the Belarusian Air Force was replenished with ten overhauled and modernized MiG-29BMs (Belarusian modernization). During the repair, the life of the fighters was extended and the avionics were updated. Of the ten fighters received, eight are single-seat vehicles, and two are combat training "twin". Overhaul and partial modernization of Soviet-made fighters were chosen as a cheap alternative to the purchase of new aircraft. In the course of modernization, the MiG-29BM received means of refueling in the air, a satellite navigation station and a modified radar for the use of air-to-ground weapons.
The repair and modernization of the Belarusian MiG-29 fighters was carried out at the 558th aircraft repair plant in Baranovichi. It is known that specialists of the Russian company "Russian Avionics" took part in these works. Currently, the MiG-29, stationed at the 61st fighter airbase in Baranovichi, are the only fighters of the Air Force of the Republic of Belarus capable of intercepting air targets.
After the withdrawal of heavy Su-27P fighters from combat, the capabilities of the Belarusian air defense system to intercept air targets significantly decreased. Even taking into account the modernization, it will not be possible to operate indefinitely the light MiG-29, whose age has already exceeded 25 years. In the next 5-8 years, most of the Belarusian MiG-29s will be decommissioned. As a possible replacement for the MiG-29, the Su-30K were considered, which are stored on the territory of the 558th aircraft repair plant. Eighteen fighters of this type were returned to India in 2008 after the start of large-scale deliveries of more advanced Su-30MKI. In return, the Indian side purchased 18 new Su-30MKIs, paying the difference in price.
Initially, it was assumed that the used Indian Su-30K, after repair and modernization, would become part of the Belarusian Air Force, but later it was announced that the planes went to Baranovichi in order not to pay VAT on import to Russia while the search for another buyer is underway. Not so long ago it became known that the Su-30K from Belarus will go to Angola. In the future, the Air Force of the Republic of Belarus will be replenished with multifunctional Su-30SM fighters, but this will not happen until 2020.
As already mentioned, soon after the republic gained independence, the S-75M3 complexes with liquid-propellant missiles were decommissioned. By the mid-90s, maintaining single-channel air defense systems with a tube element base in the ranks against the background of a lack of budgetary funds seemed too burdensome. Following the "seventy-fives", the low-altitude S-125M / M1 air defense systems began to be removed from combat duty. However, this process was not as rapid as in the case of the S-75. The S-125M1 complexes of the latest series, built in the early to mid-80s, had a long service life and potential for modernization. However, the Belarusians very zealously disposed of a significant part of the Soviet air defense systems. If the S-75, which did not have any special prospects after being transferred to the storage bases, were there for a short time and were soon "disposed of", then the "hundred twenty five" were subsequently modernized and sold abroad. The Belarusian company "Tetraedr" was engaged in the modernization and overhaul of the S-125M / M1 air defense system. According to open sources, since 2008, 9 complexes have been delivered to Azerbaijan, which after modernization received the designation C-125-TM "Pechora-2T". Also, 18 modernized "hundred twenty fives" were exported to Africa and Vietnam.
In Belarus itself, the S-125 air defense system was on alert somewhere until 2006. Apparently, the last S-125 complexes were operated at a position north of Brest, between the settlements of Malaya and Bolshaya Kurnitsa and 5 km north of Grodno. At the moment, the S-300PS air defense systems are deployed at these positions.
In addition to "Pechora-2T", created under the "small modernization" program, the Belarusian company "Alevkurp" has developed a more advanced S-125-2BM "Pechora-2BM" complex. At the same time, it is possible to use new anti-aircraft missiles that were not previously part of the S-125 air defense system. In the control system of the air defense missile system, the most modern element base is used, which significantly accelerates the speed of the equipment. Especially for the S-125-2BM, a combined optical system with high performance has been created, capable of operating under the condition of organized interference day and night.
Although the S-200 air defense systems have always been quite complex and expensive to operate, in Belarus, to the last, as far as possible, they held on to the long-range S-200VMs. This was due to the fact that with a launch range against targets flying at medium and high altitudes of 240 km, four S-200VM divisions deployed near Lida and Polotsk could control most of the territory of Belarus and hit targets over Poland, Latvia and Lithuania. In the conditions of mass liquidation of less long-range anti-aircraft systems, a "long arm" was required, capable of at least partially covering the gaps in the air defense system. Two S-200VM divisions near Lida were in positions until about 2007, and the complexes, whose positions were deployed 12 km north of Polotsk, were on duty until 2015. Due to the lack of funds for repairs and modernization, in Belarus, not only the first generation anti-aircraft missile systems were decommissioned, but also the relatively fresh S-300PT and part of the S-300PS inherited from the USSR. Therefore, the air defense system of the Republic of Belarus in the 21st century was in dire need of replenishment and updating.
Despite some disagreements, there is close military-technical cooperation between our countries. The renovation of the republic's air defense system began in 2005, when an agreement was reached on the supply of four S-300PS anti-aircraft missile divisions. Before that, the hardware part of the air defense missile system and the 5V55RM missile defense system underwent refurbishment and an extension of the service life. These anti-aircraft missile systems with a range of air targets up to 90 km were primarily intended to replace the decommissioned S-200VM long-range air defense systems. As a barter payment, Belarus carried out counter-deliveries of the MZKT-79221 heavy-duty chassis for the RS-12M1 Topol-M mobile strategic missile systems. In addition to receiving anti-aircraft systems from Russia, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus made efforts to maintain the existing equipment and weapons in service. So, in 2011, the State Enterprise "Ukroboronservice" repaired individual components of the Belarusian S-300PS air defense systems. After the Russian leadership in 2010, under pressure from the United States and Israel, decided to abandon the contract for the supply of S-300PMU2 air defense systems to Iran, the Belarusian media circulated information that the anti-aircraft systems intended for Iran would be transferred to Belarus. However, this did not happen, as a result, in order not to let down the manufacturer of the S-300P systems - the Almaz-Antey air defense concern - it was decided to sell the already built air defense systems to Azerbaijan.
By 2015, due to the deterioration of equipment and the lack of air-conditioned missiles, many Belarusian anti-aircraft battalions were on combat duty with a truncated composition. Instead of the number of 5P85S and 5P85D launchers laid down by the state, 4-5 SPUs could be seen on the satellite images of the positions of the Belarusian air defense missiles. In 2016, information appeared about the transfer of four more S-300PS divisions to the Belarusian side. According to information published in the Russian media, these anti-aircraft systems in the past served in the Moscow region and the Far East and were donated to Belarus after the air defense missile systems of the Russian Aerospace Forces received new long-range S-400 air defense systems.
Before being sent to the Republic of Belarus, the S-300PS underwent refurbishment and modernization, which will extend the service life by another 10 years. According to information voiced by Belarusian television, the received S-300PS air defense systems were planned to be located on the western border of the republic, where before that four divisions of a truncated composition were on combat duty in the vicinity of Grodno and Brest. Apparently, two divisions received from Russia in 2016 were deployed at the former position of the S-200VM air defense missile system near Polotsk, thus eliminating the gap formed from the northern direction.
In the past, the Belarusian military has repeatedly expressed interest in obtaining modern S-400 systems. Moreover, at the parade in honor of the Independence Day and the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazis, held in Minsk on July 3, 2014, individual elements of the Russian S-400 air defense system, deployed to the republic as part of joint air defense exercises, were demonstrated. The deployment in Belarus of modern long-range anti-aircraft systems would increase the coverage area and make it possible to combat air attack weapons on distant approaches. The Russian side has repeatedly proposed creating a military base in the Republic of Belarus, where Russian fighters and anti-aircraft systems could be deployed. Russian and Belarusian military personnel could carry out combat duty for the protection of air lines together.
In 1991, the armed forces of Belarus got about 400 military air defense systems. There is information that the Belarusian units, armed with military air defense systems, are currently reassigned to the command of the Air Force and Air Defense. According to expert estimates published abroad, as of 2017, more than 200 military air defense vehicles were in service. These are mainly Soviet short-range complexes: Strela-10 of various modifications, Osa-AKM and ZSU-23-4 Shilka. In addition, the Belarusian air defense units of the Ground Forces have Tunguska anti-aircraft cannon-missile systems and modern Russian-made Tor-M2 short-range air defense systems. The assembly of self-propelled chassis for Belarusian "Thors" is carried out at the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant. The contract for the supply of the hardware of the air defense missile system and the air defense missile system was concluded with the Russian JSC Concern VKO Almaz-Antey.
The 120th anti-aircraft missile brigade of the Air Force and Air Defense of Belarus, stationed in Baranovichi, Brest region, received the first battery of the Tor-M2 air defense system in 2011. At the beginning of 2014, the Tor-M2 anti-aircraft missile battalion, consisting of three batteries, was formed in the 120th air defense brigade. At the end of 2016, this anti-aircraft missile system entered service with the 740th anti-aircraft missile brigade stationed in Borisov. In 2017, the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus had five batteries of the Tor-M2 air defense system.
Among the military air defense systems inherited by the Belarusian armed forces from the Soviet Army, the most valuable were the S-300V long-range air defense systems and the Buk-M1 medium-range air defense systems. The 147th anti-aircraft missile brigade with a permanent deployment in Bobruisk was the third military unit in the USSR to master this anti-aircraft system, and the first to receive 9A82 launchers - with two 9M82 antimissiles.
In 2014, individual elements of the S-300V air defense system were demonstrated at a military parade in Minsk. The technical condition of the equipment and weapons of the 147th air defense brigade is currently unknown. However, satellite images of the deployment site show that 9A82 and 9A83 mobile launchers, as well as 9A83 and 9A84 launchers, are regularly deployed into a combat position at a permanent base on the territory of a technical park. Whether the Belarusian S-300V air defense systems will remain in service, or will share the fate of the same type of Ukrainian systems, which are now completely inoperable, depends on whether the Belarusian authorities will be able to agree with Russia on repair and restoration. As you know, our country is currently implementing a program to modernize the existing S-300V to the level of S-300V4 with a multiple increase in combat potential.
About 15 years ago, work began in Belarus to extend the service life and improve the combat characteristics of the existing Buk-M1 mobile medium-range air defense systems to the level of Buk-BM (modernized Belarusian). "Buk-MB" is an in-depth modernization of the basic system "Buk-M1" with high-quality repair and complete replacement of obsolete units and subsystems.
At the same time, the main electronic units and 9M317E anti-aircraft missiles for the Belarusian air defense system were supplied from Russia. The complex includes an 80K6M all-round radar on the Volat MZKT wheeled chassis. The Ukrainian-made 80K6 radar is designed to control airspace and issue target designation to anti-aircraft missile systems and can be used as part of automated combat control systems or autonomously. The detection range of high-altitude air targets is 400 km. Deployment time is 30 minutes. Each anti-aircraft battalion includes six 9A310MB self-propelled missile launchers, three 9A310MB ROMs, an 80K6M radar and a 9S470MB combat command post, as well as technical support vehicles.
It is known that two divisions of the Buk-MB air defense missile system have been exported to Azerbaijan. In Belarus itself, the Buk-M1 and Buk-MB complexes are in service with the 56th airborne brigade stationed near Slutsk and in the 120th Yaroslavl airborne brigade in Baranovichi. The anti-aircraft divisions of the brigade stationed in Baranovichi are on a permanent basis on combat duty in the southwestern part of the 61st air base.
The capital, the city of Minsk, is best protected from air attack weapons in the Republic of Belarus. With the exception of Moscow and St. Petersburg, on the territory of the CIS countries there is no longer a city with a similar density of air cover. As of 2017, five S-300PS positions were deployed around Minsk. According to data published in open sources, the skies over the Belarusian capital are protected by anti-aircraft battalions of the 15th air defense brigade. The main garrison and technical park of the brigade are located in the military town of Kolodishchi, on the north-eastern outskirts of Minsk. A couple of years ago, two S-300PS divisions of the 377th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment with headquarters in Polotsk were deployed 200 km north of Minsk at the former positions of the S-200VM air defense system. The southern direction is covered by anti-aircraft missile brigades armed with S-300V air defense systems and Buk-MB air defense systems.
The western borders of the republic are protected by the 115th anti-aircraft missile regiment, which includes two S-300PS divisions deployed several kilometers south and north of Brest. In the "triangle" at the junction of the borders of Poland, Lithuania and the Republic of Belarus near Grodno, two anti-aircraft missile regiments are deployed.
In connection with the development of a resource and a failure to meet modern requirements, equipment and weapons inherited from the division of the inheritance of the armed forces of the USSR are subject to refurbishment and modernization. The Belarusian specialists of the Tetrahedr Multidisciplinary Research and Production Private Unitary Enterprise have achieved considerable success in the modernization of the Strela-10M2 and Osa-AKM short-range military anti-aircraft missile systems. After modernization, the Strela-10M2 complex, placed on the MT-LB tracked chassis, received the designation Strela-10T. The main difference between the modernized air defense system is the possibility of effective combat work in the dark and in poor visibility conditions. The Strela-10T complex includes: an optoelectronic station OES-1TM, capable of detecting a fighter at a distance of up to 15 km, a new computer system, communication telecode and GPS navigation equipment. To increase stealth, a laser rangefinder is used, which determines the moment the target enters the affected area and does not unmask the air defense missile system with radar radiation. Although the range and probability of hitting a target in connection with the use of the previous anti-aircraft missiles remained the same as in the Soviet-made complex, the efficiency increased due to the possibility of all-day use and earlier detection by passive optoelectronic means. The introduction of data transmission equipment into the complex allows remote control of the process of combat work and the exchange of information between combat vehicles.
The Osa-AKM air defense missile system, modernized at the Tetraedr enterprise, was designated Osa-1T (Osa-BM). The modernization of military complexes on a floating wheeled chassis is carried out simultaneously with refurbishment. In the course of modernization, 40% of the equipment is transferred to a new element base with an increased MTBF. Also, labor costs for routine maintenance and the range of spare parts are reduced. The use of an optoelectronic tracking system for an aerial target increases survivability in conditions of the use of anti-radar missiles and electronic suppression by the enemy. With the move to solid-state electronics, response times and power consumption have been reduced. The maximum target detection range is up to 40 km. Thanks to a new, more effective guidance system, it is possible to combat air attack weapons at ranges up to 12 km and altitudes up to 7 km, flying at speeds up to 700 m / s. Compared to the original Osa-AKM air defense missile system, the height of the defeat when using the same 9MZZMZ missiles increased by 2000 m. After the modernization of the optoelectronic system, the Osa-1T air defense missile system is capable of simultaneously firing at two targets.
The hardware part of the Osa-1T air defense missile system can be placed on the Belarusian-made MZKT-69222T wheeled chassis. It is reported that the Osa-1T complexes were put into service in the Republic of Belarus, and in 2009 they were supplied to Azerbaijan.
In addition to the modernization of the existing equipment, the republic is creating its own anti-aircraft systems. A further development of the Osa-1T program was the T-38 Stilett short-range air defense system, which was first publicly presented at the MILEX-2014 exhibition of weapons and military equipment.
When creating control systems for the air defense missile system, a modern imported element base was used. In addition to the radar, an optoelectronic detection station with a thermal imaging channel, combined with a laser rangefinder, is installed on the combat vehicle. As part of the Stilett air defense system, a new bicaliber anti-aircraft missile T382 with a range of up to 20 km, developed by the Kiev design bureau Luch, was used. Due to the use of a two-channel guidance system, it is possible to aim two missiles at the same target at the same time, which significantly increases the likelihood of defeat. To accommodate the hardware of the air defense missile system, the MZKT-69222T off-road wheeled conveyor was selected. It is not known whether there are Stilett air defense systems in the Belarusian air defense units, but in 2014 two batteries were delivered to Azerbaijan.
The control of the air situation over the territory of the republic is entrusted to the radar posts of the 8th radio technical brigade with headquarters in Baranovichi and the 49th radio technical brigade with headquarters in Machulishchi. The radio engineering units are mainly armed with all-round radars and radio altimeters built in the Soviet Union. Over the past decade, several 36D6 and 80K6 radars have been purchased in Ukraine. The construction of these radars was carried out at the State Enterprise "Research and Production Complex" Iskra "in Zaporozhye. 36D6 radars today are quite modern and are used in automated air defense systems, anti-aircraft missile systems for detecting low-flying air targets covered with active and passive interference, and for air traffic control of military and civil aviation. If necessary, the radar operates in the mode of an autonomous control center. The detection range of 36D6 is more than 300 km.
In 2015, an agreement was reached on the supply to Belarus of Russian mobile three-coordinate radars of the decimeter range 59H6-E ("Protivnik-GE") with a target detection range flying at an altitude of 5-7 km up to 250 km. Belarusian enterprises of the radio-electronic industry have mastered the modernization of old Soviet radars P-18 and P-19 to the level of P-18T (TRS-2D) and P-19T (TRS-2DL). Radars 5N84A, P-37, 22Zh6 and radio altimeters PRV-16 and PRV-17 also underwent revision and refurbishment.
To replace the Soviet P-18 and 5N84A ("Oborona-14") VHF radars by the Belarusian OJSC "Design Bureau" Radar ", the" Vostok-D "radar has been developed. According to the press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus, the first station in 2014 took up combat duty as part of one of the units of the 49th radio technical brigade.
The "standby" station provides detection and tracking of air targets of all types, has a large MTBF, low power consumption. The detection range of the station is up to 360 kilometers, depending on the altitude of the target.
Belarusian enterprises have developed and delivered to the troops automated control systems "Bor", "Polyana-RB", "Rif-RB". On the basis of the Il-76 military transport aircraft, an air command post was created, equipped with multi-channel communication equipment with automatic lines for receiving radar data. On board the IL-76, the air situation is displayed on multimedia monitors in real time. According to information voiced by a representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus, a flying air defense command post can, while in the air, receive data from all radar systems, including the A-50 long-range radar patrol aircraft of the Russian Air Force. This system allows you to monitor the real situation on the ground, sea and in the air, to control both the actions of fighter aircraft and ground anti-aircraft systems.
In the event of the outbreak of hostilities, the task of suppressing the enemy's aviation radio-technical systems is assigned to the 16th separate electronic warfare regiment with a headquarters in the city of Bereza, Brest region. For this purpose, the Soviet-made SPN-30 mobile jamming stations are intended. The use of the modernized SPN-30 stations can significantly reduce the combat effectiveness of manned combat aircraft and cruise missiles, and also facilitate the combat work of anti-aircraft missile units.
The armament also has a new R934UM2 electronic warfare station, which in the future should replace the SPN-30. Jamming of signals from GPS navigation equipment is carried out by the mobile system "Canopy". The "Peleng" complex is intended for passive electronic reconnaissance with the determination of the coordinates of operating aviation radars, navigation and communication aids. Complexes Р934UM2, "Canopy" and "Peleng" were created in the Belarusian KB "Radar".
As of 2017, 15 permanent radar posts were operating on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, which ensured the creation of a multiply duplicated radar field. In addition, radar stations located in the border areas are capable of monitoring airspace over a significant part of Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic republics. Also, the air defense forces of Belarus have approximately 15-17 combat-ready medium and long-range anti-aircraft missile divisions.
The density and geography of the positions of anti-aircraft missile systems and medium and long-range complexes allow covering most of the territory of the republic and protecting the most important objects from air attack. The combat readiness of the Belarusian air defense systems and the training of calculations are at a fairly high level, which was repeatedly confirmed during joint exercises and training at the Russian Ashuluk training ground. So, during the exercises "Combat Commonwealth-2015", the crews of the 15th and 120th anti-aircraft missile brigades were shot back to the mark "excellent". In 2017, Belarusian units took part in the active phase of the joint exercises of the air defense forces of the armed forces of the member states of the Joint Air Defense System of the Commonwealth of Independent States "Combat Commonwealth-2017" in the Astrakhan region.
At the same time, it is quite obvious that in the next few years, the Belarusian anti-aircraft missile forces and fighter aircraft will require a radical renovation. The operational resource of Soviet-made equipment and weapons is close to completion, and the state of the economy does not allow replacing most of the equipment and weapons at once. The solution to this problem is seen in the deepening of military cooperation and in the further political rapprochement of our countries.
