Hard times are coming for an army that has survived the 90s
Belarus was objectively lucky in terms of military development. As a legacy from the USSR, she inherited one of the best military districts, located on the main - western strategic direction and acting as the second echelon of groups of forces stationed in the Warsaw Pact countries (GDR and Poland), as well as a number of military-industrial complex enterprises that produced, in particular, complex electronic systems.
In the article "The loop of the square" was considered the state of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In other states of the former USSR, the situation at the moment is not as dramatic as in this country, but there are enough problems, including in the military sphere. This also applies to Belarus, which, unlike Ukraine, is listed as our main ally.
Greenhouse disposition
In Belarus, there were no such expensive and complex types of the Armed Forces as the Strategic Missile Forces (which was on its territory 81 ICBM "Topol" Minsk returned to Russia in the 90s) and the Navy. The republic has a compact territory, in which there are no extreme natural and climatic zones - mountains, deserts, tundra. All these circumstances made the process of creating the Armed Forces easier and cheaper.
Although there are few objective circumstances. It is possible to destroy the initially quite combat-ready and high-quality Armed Forces. This is exactly what happened in Ukraine, which received from the USSR three very powerful military districts of the same second strategic echelon as in the case of the Belarusian Military District, had a relatively compact territory, natural conditions are even more favorable than those of its neighbors, and an even more developed military-industrial complex. This, however, did not prevent the deep degradation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
And the Belarusian leadership managed to create the Armed Forces, which for a number of parameters were the best in the CIS for a long time. Despite the limited financial capabilities of the country, its army is distinguished by a high level of combat and psychological training of personnel, which, moreover, has very good social security. Structural reforms were carried out in the Armed Forces, strategic commands (Western and North-Western), as well as territorial troops were created to ensure the protection and defense of the most important objects from the actions of enemy landings, sabotage and terrorist formations. The ground forces were transferred to a brigade structure more adequate for the armies of small countries, while the corps link was abolished in connection with the creation of commands. True, objectively speaking, with such a territory and directions adjacent from the point of view of sources of threats, the creation of two strategic commands seems to be a somewhat redundant measure. Not surprisingly, they have already been abolished in the Air Force.
Who, where and how much
The ground forces, as mentioned above, are divided into brigades; there are also separate regiments.
Mechanized brigades - 6th (Grodno), 11th (Slonim), 120th (Minsk). Mobile (airborne assault) brigades - 38th (Brest), 103rd (Polotsk). Spetsnaz brigades - 5th (Maryina Gorka). Mobile brigades and a special forces brigade make up the command of the MTR.
Missile brigades - 465th (Osipovichi). Artillery brigades - 111th (Brest), 231st (Borovka). MLRS brigades - 336th (Osipovichi). Anti-aircraft missile brigades - 62nd (Grodno), 740th (Borisov). Communication brigades - 86th and 127th (Kolodischi, Minsk). Engineer brigades - 2nd (Sosny), 188th (Mogilev), 557th (Grodno).
Artillery regiments - 1199th (Brest). Signal regiments - 60th (Borisov), 74th (Grodno). Radio engineering regiments - 215, 255th OSNAZ (Novogrudok).
There are almost 100 launchers OTR - 36 relatively new "Tochka-U", 60 obsolete R-17.
The tank park consists of 1,356 T-72s. Other armored vehicles: about 1600 BMP and BMD (154 BMD-1, 26 BMP-1, 161 BRM-1, 1150 BMP-2), more than 600 armored personnel carriers (181 BTR-80, 374 BTR-70, 22 BTR-D, 66 MTLB).
The artillery includes over 600 self-propelled guns (54 2S9, 260 2S1, 163 2S3, 120 2S5, 13 2S19, 24 2S7), 252 towed guns (66 D-30, 50 2A36, 136 2A65), 77 mortars 2S12, 316 MLRS (201 BM-21, 75 "Hurricane", 40 "Smerch").
In service are ATGM "Fagot", "Konkurs" (including 126 self-propelled), 110 "Shturm-S", 40 "Metis".
In the military air defense - 12 "Tor" air defense systems, at least 80 "Osa", about 200 "Strela-10", at least 64 "Igla" and 250 "Strela-2" MANPADS, 48 "Shilka" air defense systems.
The Air Force consists of four air bases: 61st fighter (Baranovichi), 116th assault (Lida), 50th mixed (Machulishchi), 181st helicopter (Pruzhany). Armed with 27 Su-25 attack aircraft (including 9 Su-25UB) and 36 MiG-29 fighters (12 BM, 8 UB). There are about 40 more Su-25s in storage (obviously, in a completely non-flying state), up to 23 Su-24 bombers (intended for sale abroad) and up to 23 Su-27 fighters (including 4 Su-27UBM1), further fate which is unclear.
Transport aviation seems to be purely symbolic, it has only 2 Il-76 and 3 An-26. Another 5 An-26 and 1 An-24B are in storage.
Training aircraft: 4 newest Yak-130 and 10 old L-39.
There are 37 Mi-24 combat helicopters (according to modifications: 10 - V, 11 - P, 8 - K, 8 - R), at least 22 multipurpose Mi-8 and 2 transport Mi-26 (6-7 more in storage).
Ground air defense includes 4 anti-aircraft missile brigades and a regiment, two radio engineering brigades. Anti-aircraft missile brigades: 15th (Fanipol, S-300PT), 56th (Slutsk, Buk), 120th (Baranovichi, Buk), 147th (Bobruisk, S-300V). Regiments: 1st (Grodno, S-300PS), 115th (Brest, S-300PS), 377th, 825th (Polotsk, S-200). Radio engineering brigades: 8th (Baranovichi), 49th (Valerianovo). In service are six divisions of the S-300V air defense system, nine - S-300PT / PS, four each - the S-200 and the Buk air defense missile system. It is ground air defense that is the only component of the Armed Forces that has been significantly updated in the post-Soviet period. In 2006, Russia supplied Belarus with 4 battalions of the S-300PS air defense missile system, which was adopted by the 115th anti-aircraft missile brigade (now a regiment) instead of the outdated S-125. In 2014 - 4 more divisions of the S-300PS air defense missile systems. In recent years, Belarus has received from Russia 12 of the latest short-range air defense systems "Tor-M2E" for the air defense of the ground forces, as well as 4 of the aforementioned Yak-130 training aircraft. All other Soviet-made equipment.
On the territory of Belarus there are Russian military objects - an early warning radar station (Baranovichi) and a submarine control center (43rd Naval communications center, Vileika). In addition, at least four fighters of the Russian Aerospace Forces (Su-27 or Su-30) are on alert as part of the 61st airbase.
Broken in Belarus
Belarus received from the USSR about 120 military-industrial complex enterprises, but among them there were almost no final assembly plants. Weapons as such were not produced here at all, only automotive equipment was produced, as well as a variety of equipment. But in Belarus there were a number of repair enterprises.
The country's leadership, unlike their Ukrainian counterparts, disposed of the inheritance very rationally, maintaining integration ties with Russia, the main consumer of Belarusian defense products. The main part of the supplies to this day is flight systems, navigation devices, satellite and space communications, radio stations, antenna devices, stationary and on-board computing systems, optical-mechanical, assembly and control equipment for the production of very large-scale integrated circuits, machine tools for the production of precision optics, chemical products, electronics, heavy wheeled chassis, trailers and semi-trailers. Topol and Topol-M ICBMs are mounted on MAZ-7310 and MAZ-7917 chassis. And the elements of the S-300P air defense system (radar, control points, missile launchers) are installed on the MAZ-543 chassis.
On the other hand, almost all military equipment in service with the Armed Forces of Belarus is made in the Russian Federation. True, there are modifications of Russian models, for example, the BM-21 Grad MLRS (called Belgrade), the Shilka ZSU (ZSU-23-4M5), the Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters (Su-27BM and MiG -29BM). At the 140th repair plant, a fundamentally new reconnaissance and sabotage vehicle 2T was designed. Automated control systems of different levels, electronic and optical systems are being created. The 558th Aircraft Repair Plant has successfully mastered several types of drones. Belarus has become a leader in the post-Soviet space for the production of UAVs, which are now the world military mainstream.
Oil ration
Moscow and Minsk are developing joint projects in the field of arms export, both to the CSTO member countries and outside the former USSR. For example, the cooperation of Russian and Belarusian enterprises is modernizing light tanks PT-76, armored personnel carriers BTR-50P, air defense systems S-125. This technique has already been withdrawn from service in our countries, but it is still available in large quantities in others that acquired weapons and military equipment from the USSR.
Belarus did not try to do everything on its own. On the contrary, it deepens specialization, especially since it produces products that are extremely important in the new conditions: it is impossible to build a network-centric army without communication, navigation, reconnaissance, surveillance and control systems. The Belarusians managed to create unique means of electronic warfare. As a result, the “taken out of context” defense industry complex turned out to be much more successful and viable than the much larger and almost self-sufficient defense complex of Ukraine.
Nevertheless, now the situation in Belarus in general and in its Armed Forces is by no means cloudless. As you know, Lukashenka's "economic miracle", which many people in our country continue to wonder at, was based on the refining of cheap Russian oil at local refineries (the best in the USSR) and the sale of fuels and lubricants to Europe at world prices. When Moscow started filming Minsk “with allowance,” the miracle ended. Now not a trace remains of him. The socio-economic situation in Belarus is catastrophic (which for some reason most Russians do not know). It also affects the Armed Forces. The level of combat training, pay and social security of servicemen began to decline. In addition, the problem of developing the resource of military equipment is making itself felt more and more, and this is especially acute for the Air Force. In fact, the Belarusian Armed Forces (as, incidentally, both the Russian and Ukrainian ones) need a total rearmament, but there is no money for it and is not expected.
Alexander Lukashenko is confident that Russia should re-equip the Belarusian army at its own expense (at least at domestic prices). However, Moscow is less and less ready to do this, especially in the face of its own economic problems.
Where does Old Man look
The Belarusian leader is really interested in one thing: maintaining his own power. Declaring an alliance with Moscow is only a tool for solving this problem. At the same time, Lukashenka has never been a real ally. This manifested itself when he not only did not recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but began to openly flirt with Saakashvili. Now it is even clearer - the position of Minsk in the conflict between Moscow and Kiev is not even neutral, but clearly pro-Ukrainian. Of course, Lukashenka has every right to such behavior, only then there is no need to broadcast about the Union State and demand various preferences from us.
The Belarusian president has repeatedly blackmailed Russia by rapprochement with the West. Now he is doing it more actively than ever. The West began to reciprocate. Moreover, Lukashenka's domestic policy has not changed at all. From a Western point of view, he must remain a dictator, and an illegitimate one. In fact, the West does not care about Lukashenka's methods inside the country. Previously, Old Man was punished for too close (outwardly) alliance with Russia, now they are encouraged for leaving her.
Milosevic and Gaddafi, too, were declared dictators by the West, then reconciled with him, and it seemed to both that they were now safe. But the political situation was changing with tragic consequences for everyone. The leaders of Georgia and Ukraine were not declared dictators, they were friends with the West against Moscow with all their might, for which they received from Russia in full, with the West's non-resistance. Although they also thought they were protected. Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Crimea, Syria turned out to be actually protected, because they were friends just with Moscow (this was discussed in the article "Army of the People"). For some reason, however, all these many lessons remain unlearned.
Of course, now Lukashenka cannot share the fate of Gaddafi and Milosevic, because his army is currently stronger than any European one. It is absolutely impossible to imagine a military confrontation between Belarus and Russia (our conflict with Georgia and even Ukraine never seemed incredible). Nevertheless, it seems that Old Man is making a big mistake.
