On July 9, the international exhibition of arms and military equipment MILEX-2014 opened in Minsk. For four days, about 140 enterprises and organizations from 23 countries demonstrated their latest developments and tried to interest potential buyers. To place the stands of all participants, the organizers of the exhibition had to use the speed skating stadium of the cultural and sports complex "Minsk-Arena". The exhibition closed on July 12 and its results are already known. Sergei Gurulev, Chairman of the State Committee for Military Industry of the Republic of Belarus, said that during the MILEX-2012 exhibition, contracts worth $ 700 million were signed. Thanks to the exhibition, new agreements worth a billion dollars could be signed in the foreseeable future.
The exhibition was attended by companies and organizations from 23 countries, but they were mainly Belarusian and Russian enterprises. Moreover, the theme of Russian-Belarusian cooperation has once again become the leitmotif of the MILEX exhibition. Indeed, the industry of the two countries is interested in cooperation and has a lot of industrial ties. According to some information, about a hundred Belarusian enterprises supply to Russia about two thousand different products used in the defense industry. In addition, several hundred types of products are supplied from Russia to 70 Belarusian enterprises. For the further development of relations between the defense plants of the two countries, as noted by the Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich, it is necessary not only to cooperate, but to create joint ventures.
At the MILEX-2014 exhibition, the Belarusian industry showed the Alebarda anti-aircraft missile system. This system is a further development of the Pechora-2BM complex, created on the basis of the obsolete Soviet-developed S-125 air defense system. The use of new equipment, built on a modern element base, made it possible to significantly improve the characteristics of missiles and ground equipment. While the tests of the new complex are underway, the management of the Belspetsvneshtekhnika GVTUP, which supplies arms and military equipment to foreign customers, claims that there are already orders for the supply of fifteen Alebard air defense systems. In the future, the number of orders should increase. Belarusian specialists intend not only to sell such equipment, but also to train future operators for it. The developing countries of Asia, Africa and South America, which need inexpensive weapons with high performance, are considered as potential buyers of the "Halberd" air defense system.
It should be noted that the Alebarda air defense missile system will be built using Russian components. Moreover, air defense systems are one of the main areas of military-technical cooperation between the two countries. This statement was made by the head of the Rosoboronexport delegation Valery Varlamov. The official named the general air defense system of the two countries as the main reason for this. Russia and Belarus supply each other with the necessary components, as well as modernize the equipment already supplied. The development of military-technical cooperation between the two countries is proceeding in accordance with the agreement signed in 2009. V. Varlamov said that in the near future a similar agreement may appear between Russia and Kazakhstan.
Cooperation with Russia is beneficial for neighboring states. So, in the near future, the Belarusian military should receive four divisions of air defense systems of the S-300P family. An agreement on the donation of this equipment was reached last autumn. As soon as all the necessary documents are completed, the complexes will be handed over to Belarus. In addition, over the next few years, the Republic of Belarus may become the first foreign state to receive the latest S-400 air defense systems, which are currently supplied only to the Russian armed forces. However, a political decision is required to start such deliveries.
The head of the Belarusian Goskomvoenprom spoke about plans for cooperation with the Russian United Aircraft Corporation. The Belarusian leadership intends to develop enterprises related to the aviation industry. By September, it is planned to prepare a plan for the development of the industry, which will be coordinated with similar Russian plans. Belarus intends to produce various components, which will strengthen production ties and create new jobs.
At the MILEX-2014 exhibition, the BAK-100 unmanned aerial complex with the Grif-1 UAV was presented for the first time. The complex was created by several Belarusian enterprises headed by the 558th aircraft repair plant. The lightweight drone "Grif-1" has a flight range of up to 100 km and is designed to perform tasks related to observation and reconnaissance. The device is equipped with a complex of optical and laser equipment. An interesting feature of the Grif-1 UAV is the ability to operate without the use of satellite navigation systems, which can be useful in real combat conditions. On the site of the MILEX-2014 exhibition, the BAK-100 complex, located on an automobile chassis, was shown. Several containers with drones and the necessary equipment are installed on a KAMAZ truck.
The Russian corporation Uralvagonzavod presented several of its developments at the MILEX-2014 exhibition. A modernized T-72 tank was shown on the open area. With the installation of new equipment, the characteristics and combat qualities of the vehicle were increased. The upgraded tank has gone through a full cycle of tests provided for by the standards of the Russian armed forces. The proposed project may be of interest to a wide range of countries operating combat vehicles of the T-72 family. In addition to the modernized T-72 tank, Uralvagonzavod brought to Minsk mock-ups of the T-90 tank, the BMPT tank support combat vehicle, the IMR-3M engineering barrage vehicle, the MTU-72 bridgelayer, as well as numerous advertising materials.
A small exhibition was held on the open area of the MILEX-2014 salon, which was of interest not for specialists, but for amateurs of military equipment. Cars, tanks and combat vehicles of the times of the Great Patriotic War were demonstrated in a separate parking lot.
