Belarus Armed Forces

d_taddei2 wrote:

Kadmos45 wrote:

d_taddei2 wrote:

So we know that the Belarusian air force and air defence isn't that great but what of its ground forces???

Lulwhat ?

Is this some sort of flamebait ?

If not then name me 5 countries with better AF and ADF in Europe of the size of Belarus.

so your saying 37x Mig-29   (of which 13 are BM version) and god knows what state the rest are in and Su-25(not SM level) would be suffice against NATO? what you forget even the Belarusians realise their airforce isn't what it should be, and you also forget that most european countries are in NATO so if there ever was conflict it would be against one country or even two, it would be against NATO. Indeed they have better AF and ADF than the likes of Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, but that isn't exactly hard. The Mig-29 they have should be upgraded to SMT/M2 level if the airframes are ok, and Su-25 upgraded also,  they could have even brought back into service 12 Su-24 and 12 Su-27 and have them upgraded then you would have a good capable airforce. Its airdefence does need upgrading, Pantsir, and upgraded Tor, Buk, and S-300 and your sorted. Also you forgot to answer the question whats your views on its ground forces????

as for your question without going too much into researchng it, i would say Netherlands, Denmark, Greece, Finland, Poland, and i think even some smaller countries like Portugal, Austria, Switzerland, could still prove to be a handful, also depends on what you mean by size. Also having a certain amount of aircraft doesn't mean it would be a great airforce it ultimately boils down to maintenance, training/flying hours, and just how good the pilots are. Another thing to consider is Belarus's defence budget, around $2bn, isn't a huge amount for the size of its force, then maintenance could be questioned. I however think Belarus pilots possibly dont get as much training as they should, as for ground forces they seem to be fairly good.

Yeap, Belarus is something akin to the Baltic in that regard, minus the need for asking Russia to guard their airspace with QRA Fulcrums. About 13 of their own Fulcrums should be serviceable. Basically they have no real Air Force for war purposes and their strike capability is non-existent. As frontier country vs NATO having CAS assets like a dozen old Su-25 is not exactly a priority. These will be shot off the sky in a matter of a day or two if SHTF (e.g. Georgia 2008).

Belarus is the Foulda Gap reversed, but with nowhere near the capable/strong forces to defend it. Those S-300PS are good start but still there needs to be improvement in the air (fast jets) and ground (armor). The current order of battle and deployment on the ground is abysmally short-sighted and insufficient in quantity.

Belarusian air defense forces receive advanced Russian radar

The mobile radar station Protivnik-GE is designed to detect, determine coordinates and track strategic and tactical aircraft, airborne missiles, ballistic targets

MINSK, August 16. /TASS/. An advanced Russian medium- and long-range air surveillance radar station, Protivnik-GE, has arrived for a radio-technical unit of the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense troops, the republic’s Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday.

"A possibility will now appear to detect and track ballistic targets, as well as to increase the range of aerial target detection, increase the mobility of the automated grouping and cut expenses on the radar’s operation through the use of modern technologies," the Belarusian Defense Ministry said.

As Chief of the Belarusian General Staff, First Deputy Defense Minister Major-General Oleg Belokonev said, the radar delivery is an historic moment for radio-technical troops and the troops’ switchover to "a new qualitative level for ensuring national security, helping to increase combat capabilities considerably and raise their mobility."

Air Force and Air Defense Commander Major-General Oleg Dvigalyov said that another radar station would enter service early next year and Belarus would receive a total of seven such radars by 2020.

According to data of the Belarusian Defense Ministry, the mobile three-dimensional radar station Protivnik-GE is designed to detect, determine coordinates and track strategic and tactical aircraft, airborne missiles, ballistic targets, small-size, low-speed aircraft amid intensive jamming, and also to issue radar data to command post automated systems. The small number of transport vehicles and the automated antenna elevation system help quickly deploy (displace) the radar on unprepared terrain within slightly over 30 minutes.


More:
http://tass.com/defense/894598

MLRS "Polonez"

does anyone actually know whats actually happening with the so-called modernisation plans for the air force??

there was talk a while back about upgrading their retired Su-27's then their was talk about getting ex-Indian Su-30K and upgrading to KN, and in December 2015 10 Mig-29's were refurbished but no mention of upgrade. With such a small armed forces budget its hard for them to purchase anything great in decent numbers. I have a feeling Belarus is hoping that buying Yak-130 and possibly giving them a homegrown upgrade to combat duties that this will suffice, as it double up as a trainer as well. Which isn't a bad idea however i still think more capable aircraft need to be bought. Dont get me wrong the Yak-130 could be a decent little combat aircraft and would be ideal for taking out helicopters, drones, basic fixed wing as well as ground attack missions, but for taking on more high tech fixed wing fighters they would struggle. A logical solution would be to upgrade existing Mi-24 to Mi-24PN/Mi-35M or depending on condition buy some, their Mig-29's yet again depending on condition they could upgrade some more to their homegrown upgrade to BM level which is similar to M2/SMT which to be honest is good enough for their needs. The Su-25 should also be upgraded. And once this has been done they could look to purchase if budget allows either 12x Su-30Sm, or more likely options buy the ex Indian Su-30K and upgrade as mentioned or upgrade their retired Su-27 to Sm level. Mig-35 could also be a good option but costs to buy new aircraft will no doubt be out of reach of their budget.

To help save on costs etc they could reduce the number of aircraft in their inventory their numbers are currently approx. as follows(not inc Yak-130):

Mig-29 x 37 (with 12-13 of BM standard)

Su-25 x 68

Mi-24V x 20.


ideally they could reduce Mi-24 down to 18, keep 2 for parts. The Mig-29 they could upgrade a few more to BM level and aim for 24 in service the rest for spare parts. And keep around 36 Su-25 and have them upgraded, they could keep a few for spares and the rest they could refurbish and upgrade and sell them off to African nations or Iraq to help general cash for upgrades and purchases. Also if the budget allowed they could bring back into service 12 x Su-24 and have them upgraded.

So to re-cap what they ideally want is as follows:

Mig-29BM x 24

Su-25Sm/SM3 x 36

Mi-24PN/35M x 18

Su-30KN x 12 or Su-27Sm x 12

Su-24M2 x 12

this would give them a good mix of interceptor and ground attack, and back this up with their air defence (which is actually quite good) then they could have a capable air force. And the Yak-130's could in times of conflict if needed be used for combat missions (especially drone hunting).  


anyone else got any news of whats happening?

anyone else got any views on what they should go for?

Belarusian helicopter Mi-8 MTV-5 with on-board defense complex "President-S"

Belarus has received four Yak-130









http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2276517.html

George1 wrote:Belarus has received four Yak-130









http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2276517.html

nice and it look like there going to be armed as well

Belorussian modernization of armored personnel carriers BTR-70

According to the State Military-Industrial Committee of the Republic of Belarus, JSC "140 Repair Plant" (Borisov) has successfully completed the development work on the BTR-70 armored personnel carriers to upgrade to level-70MB1.

The project was carried out at the expense of own funds. Customer of the R & D by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Belarus.



http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2361379.html

The Belarusian army received T-72B3 tanks with additional protection

Despite all the projects of modernization of T-72 tanks developed by Belarusian enterprises, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus eventually preferred the already worked-out and standardized Russian version, the more it uses the multi-cannon sight of the gunner of the Belarusian production.



As reported on June 2, 2017 television channel "VoentTV" of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus, "modernized tanks T-72B3 entered the armament of the Belarusian army. Today in a solemn atmosphere, combat vehicles were handed over to the personnel of 969 tank reserve bases. The event was attended by the Defense Minister of the Republic of Belarus, Lieutenant-General Andrei Ravkov, representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces, as well as the Russian delegation from the joint stock company "Scientific and Production Corporation" Uralvagonzavod. "

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2645158.html

The first batch of Chinese armored cars CS/VN3 arrived in Belarus

On June 21, 2017, the first consignment of Chinese CS/VN3 armored vehicles arrived in Belarus according to the agreement between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus and the Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China Republic on the provision of gratuitous military-technical assistance.







http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2682832.html

Military parade in Minsk on July 3

The military parade of the troops of the Minsk garrison and the passage of civil engineering equipment in honor of Independence Day took place in Minsk, the BelTA correspondent reports.

In total, about 3,500 servicemen were involved in the parade. 20 parade calculations, which were presented by the Minsk Suvorov Military School, the Military Academy, the military-technical faculty of the BNTU, etc., took part in the pedestrian column. 26 ceremonial calculations of modern combat equipment participated in the composition of the mechanized column. A total of 222 units of equipment were involved. T-72B tanks, BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, Bogatyr cars, lightly armored vehicles Cayman, MZKT vehicles with unmanned aerial complexes, P-434 stations, 2S12B mortar complexes "Sani" , Combat vehicles "Sturm", the multiple rocket fire system "Polonaise" and other military equipment. As part of the air force, 58 aircraft participated in the parade: 26 helicopters and 32 aircraft. A column of civilian equipment was represented by 102 units, including BelJ cars, machinery of the Minsk Tractor Plant, Gomselmash Holdings, Amkodor .


























http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2706042.html

Small arms of Belarus Spetsnaz:

Ukrainian assessment of the state and prospects of the Belarusian army

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/2878328.html

George1 wrote:The first batch of Chinese armored cars CS/VN3 arrived in Belarus

On June 21, 2017, the first consignment of Chinese CS/VN3 armored vehicles arrived in Belarus according to the agreement between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus and the Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China Republic on the provision of gratuitous military-technical assistance.







http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2682832.html

That's pretty bad that Belarus is buying armoured vehicles like this they can actually produce such vehicles

That's a lot of artillery and vehicles. Just like Russia and Ukraine harbouring vast amount of equipment. If Belarus pushed sales of these and cleared them they would actually have some money to buy and upgrade it's forces.

http://m.fishki.net/1214644-reportazh-so-sklada-oruzhija.html

Experienced operation of Chinese armored cars CS/VN3 in the Belorussian army

In Belorussia, a regiment was set up on anti-aircraft missile systems "Tor-M2K"

   As reported by the Ministry of Defense of Belarus, December 1, 2017 at the airport in Baranovichi solemn ceremony was held to revive the 1146th Guards air defense missile regiment of the Air Force and air defense forces of Belarus. The regiment is equipped with anti-aircraft short-range missile systems 9K332MK Tor-M2K.


Combat vehicles 9A331K on the wheeled chassis of MZKT-6922 9K332MK anti-aircraft missile system Tor-M2K of the newly formed 1146th Guards air defense missile regiment of the Air Force and the Belorussian Air Defense Forces. Baranovichi (Belarus), 01.12.2017 (c) Alexander Goncharov "Vayar" / Denis Malyshits / Belarusian Military Newspaper "For Glory of the Motherland"

   The bmpd comment. From 2011 to 2016, the Air Force and the Belorussian Air Defense Forces received four batteries of the 9K332MK Tor-M2K from Russia (each consisting of four 9A331K combat vehicles on the wheeled chassis of MZKT-6922). In October 2017, the Belarusian side signed an agreement on the purchase of the fifth battery of the Tor-M2K air defense system.

   In the Air Force and the Belorussian Air Defense Forces, the first three batteries of Tor-M2K were received by the 120th anti-aircraft missile brigade (control in Baranovichi). In early 2014, in the 120th anti-aircraft missile brigade, the Tor-M2K anti-aircraft missile battalion was formed from these three batteries. At the end of 2016, the fourth Belorussian battery received the Tor-M2K missile system, which became part of the 740th anti-aircraft missile brigade (control in Borisov). However, it was now decided to reduce all the Belorussian-produced Tor-M2K SAMs to a separate part of the Air Force and air defense troops, which became the restored 1146th Guards air defense missile regiment in Baranovichi.

   The 1146th Guards Air Defense Missile Regiment was originally formed on the territory of Belarus in 1956 as the 1146th Guards Air Defense Artillery Regiment of the Air Defense Forces (part of its history from a separate anti-aircraft artillery battalion, formed in August 1941 in Leningrad, then the 36th Guards antiaircraft artillery battalion). In 1961, the regiment was reorganized into an anti-aircraft missile system with the equipment of the S-75 series air defense system. In the late Soviet years, the 1146th regiment with the S-75 and S-125 air defense systems was part of the 11th Air Defense Corps (control in Baranovichi) of the 2nd separate air defense army, and was traditionally one of the "model-demonstration" units of the Air Defense Forces in Belarus. Since 1992, the regiment under the Belarusian jurisdiction, disbanded in 2001.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/2987633.html

Belarus silently builds a new army. Mostly based on a smaller army which consists of light mobile forces and an a key emphasis on special forces and reduced number of heavy weapons. If this is the case they need to start selling older equipment and heavy weapons fast to provide money for this.

https://belarusdigest.com/story/minsk-silently-builds-a-new-army/

Belarus received a new batch of Chinese armored vehicles CS/VN3



https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3057898.html

Very interesting read of current situation and future plans. Some key points military spending up by a fifth. 25% of older vehicles to be sold off. Plans to keep large air defence force and reduction of troops mainly in the form of conscripts with more reliance on reservists and contracted force

https://belarusdigest.com/story/how-many-divisions-does-lukashenka-have/

Belarus received the next ten T-72B3 tanks with additional protection

According to the Belarusian military television and radio company VoenTV, the mechanized units of the Belarusian army were replenished with T-72B3 tanks. The solemn ceremony took place on November 22, 2018 on the territory of the 120th separate mechanized brigade in Minsk.

Within the framework of military-technical cooperation, the machines underwent a deep modernization at the Russian enterprise Uralvagonzavod. The sample received an updated powerplant, an instrument of increased power and accuracy, as well as a modern aiming complex. In addition, the T-72B3 is equipped with a dynamic contact protection system, which doubled the stability of the body against cumulative projectiles and a half from subdial.

Tanks adopted one of the battalions of the 120th mechanized brigade. In total, the unit received ten such machines.

In another report, “VoenTV” on this occasion states that at the end of 2019 it is expected to deliver another batch of tanks that have undergone a deep modernization at the enterprise of the Uralvagonzavod research and production corporation in Russia. This was stated by the First Deputy Chief of Armament of the Armed Forces [of Belarus] - Chief of the Armament Headquarters Major General Andrei Fedin.

A batch of ten cars today was transferred to one of the battalions of the 120th separate mechanized brigade.

“As part of the next contract concluded between the Ministry of Defense of Belarus and the Uralvagonzavod Scientific Production Corporation, the next ten tanks (T-72B) are already at the plant in Nizhny Tagil,” said Andrei Fedin. At the factory, the cars will be upgraded to the level of T-72B3.

From the side of bmpd, we recall that the first batch of modernized T-72B3 tanks with additional protection was transferred to the armed forces of Belarus on June 2, 2017.









https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3424759.html

The armed forces of Belarus received the first batch of armored vehicles "Caiman"

As reported by the Ministry of Defense of Belarus, on February 15, 2019, the Deputy Minister of Defense for Armaments, Chief of Armaments of the Armed Forces of Belarus, Major General Sergei Simonenko, in a solemn ceremony, handed over to the personnel of the 103rd Guards Airborne Brigade of Special Operations Forces to the first batch of armored vehicles "Caiman ". Nine armored vehicles entered service in the grenade launcher units of paratroop battalions of the compound.


One of the serial armored vehicles (“mobile armored vehicle” - MBTS) “Caiman” produced by the Belarusian JSC “140 Repair Plant” (Borisov), which entered service with the 103rd Guards Airborne Special Forces Brigade of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Belarus. Vitebsk, 02/15/2019 (c) Ministry of Defense of Belarus


Caiman is a design development of the 140th Repair Plant and is 90% made up of components manufactured in Belarus.

This is a combat wheeled amphibious vehicle with weapons, armor protection, high maneuverability, intended for use as a highly mobile means of delivery and fire support for personnel of subunits, for the destruction of lightly armored objects, to ensure the security of the crew and the assault force during transportation under conditions of probable fire contact with the enemy.

In terms of its technical characteristics and combat capabilities, the vehicle is not inferior, and in a number of indicators it surpasses similar models in service with foreign armies.

The Caiman armored vehicle, which has a total weight of 8.5 tons with weapons, is equipped with a 170 horsepower diesel engine of the Minsk Motor Plant.

The machine is able to accelerate to 100 km / h on the highway, confidently travel over rough terrain, overcome water obstacles afloat at a speed of 7 km / h.

In 2018, the Brigade received 32 BTR-70 MB1 armored personnel carriers and 18 units of towed rifled semi-automatic mortar 2B23 “NONA M1”.

These armament models allow increasing the mobility and firepower of units of special operations forces of the armed forces.

From the side of bmpd, we recall that the armored vehicle (officially “mobile armored vehicle” - MBTS) “Caiman” with the wheel formula 4x4 was developed by the Belarusian JSC “140 Repair Plant” (Borisov). The first prototype MBTS "Caiman", demonstrated in 2015, was manufactured by reworking the old BRDM-2. By 2017, at the 140th plant, five samples of the Cayman MBTS were manufactured and the vehicle was officially accepted into service by the Ministry of Defense of Belarus. In 2017, the leadership of the 140th plant declared that the Caiman serial armored vehicles were completely new production vehicles, including the armored hull.

In 2018, the party of armored vehicles "Caiman" (at least eight units) was delivered by the Belarusian side to Côte d'Ivoire.



https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3534383.html

Some sources state Belarus has 60-70 Su-25 in service. Does anyone know if this is correct. seems a bit much. I know that there fairly robust and fairly simple and cheap to maintain but considering there budget I can't help but think the number in service is smaller and quite a few will not be in flying condition. I also think having such a high number is not necessary for the size of country and armed forces. surely it would be better to keep 24 in service retire or even better sell them off to poorer nations and gain service contracts better to make money than let them rot. same goes for the soviet armour in storage. Belarus has the capacity to give Su-25 and soviet armour upgrades sell them poorer nations would buy them. The profit could go towards upgrading belarussian armed forces. If they leave things too late it becomes a point the equipment becomes far too obsolete even with upgrades for anyone to buy. its a win win for belarus they get rid themselves of the vast amounts of equipment they have make additional profit on upgrades and ongoing services spares maintenance and money pumped into newer equipment for its armed forces this would likely be better than what it currently does (designin new items with either zero to very small sales)