Alyaksandr Lukashenka convened a meeting today on army armaments and the defence procurement program. He also took the opportunity to assess the US and Israeli operation against Iran, using it as an argument in favor of selecting certain types of weaponry.
“Importantly, the implementation of the program allowed us over five years to increase the share of modern equipment in the Armed Forces to nearly half — 45%. The share of annually renewed equipment also increased to 2%. It can be stated that the measures we are taking allow us to maintain weapons and military equipment in combat-ready condition,” Lukashenka said while summing up the 2021-2025 state armaments program.
He recalled that the focus had been placed on the Air Force and air defence systems. The Belarusian army received new aircraft, helicopters and air defence systems. Armoured vehicles for mechanized units were also purchased, soldiers’ equipment was improved and new communication systems were obtained.
“As experience shows, this is also a critically important component that today determines much, and sometimes everything, in modern combat. In the near future, we will take another look at communication systems. By the way, everything I am talking about is produced in Belarus,” he said.
Lukashenka proposed discussing the program for the next five-year period.
“Without equipping the troops with modern weapons, it is impossible to solve defence tasks. At the same time, I would like to note that we should not rush to acquire every type of weapon we see in modern conflicts. First of all, we must have weapons that we can actually use and that, above all, our officers know how to handle,” he said.
Lukashenka once again reminded those present that Belarus is a heavily forested country.
“This is not a desert, not even the Ukrainian steppes. Therefore, we need to purchase and develop the weapons that we will need,” he said.
He stressed that modern wars cannot be won without ground operations and that soldiers must master “fundamental weapons.”
“Recent conflicts speak to this. Let us take the armed confrontation involving Iran, Israel and the United States of America. What did it show? They bombed and showered it with bombs and missiles… So, did they win? No. There is no way forward without a ground operation,” he said.
“Having discussed the draft program, we must make a decision. If we make the decision, I will sign this program.
How are the issues of equipping the troops with modern means reflected in these documents, taking into account existing and emerging military threats, as well as the results of the inspection carried out?
Have the proposals of other security agencies been taken into account? Which weapons systems have been prioritized in the program in order to increase the combat potential of the troops?” he said, stressing that the effectiveness of the allocated funds must be maximized.
