The defense industry of Russia and Belarus are inextricably linked
The situation in which the defense sector of the industry of Belarus found itself after the collapse of the union was rather contradictory. On the one hand, the new state had a fairly large share of military production in the total volume of the national economy - in Belarus there were about 120 enterprises and defense organizations, among which were 15 research institutes and design bureaus. On the other hand, because of their cross-border location, in the post-war period, they tried not to locate large military manufactures of final products. The only exception to this rule was the Minsk Automobile Plant, which was engaged in the production of wheeled tractor for the installation of rocket systems, but these machines (despite their importance) were not directly arming. Most of the Belarusian enterprises were subcontractors and specialized in the production of various subsystems and components.
Currently, the defense industry of the Republic of Belarus has about 50 individual enterprises and organizations. At the same time, during the restructuring and conversion of the defense industry, Belarusian leaders managed to maintain the core of specialized military industries, including all 15 defense research institutes and design bureaus that existed in the BSSR, and also to create a certain intrarepublic cooperation between them. In addition, Belarus managed to create an R & D system and maintain sources of renewal of the defense sector of the national economy. In some ways, this is due to the attention paid to the defense-industrial complex by the administration of President A. Lukashenko.
Quite close political ties between Belarus and Russia allowed not only to maintain cooperation between the defense sectors of the two neighboring countries, but also provided Minsk with the opportunity to act as an absolutely legal re-exporter and “provider” of Russian weapons systems in a number of foreign markets, while carrying out legal modernization of Soviet and Russian weapons systems in close cooperation with their creators located in Russia. In addition, after the 2000 of the year, the authorities of Belarus were able to support their defense industrial complex, albeit with very limited, but constant and tangible defense orders (with the main support for modernization and informational solutions).
Currently in Belarus, the focus is not on diversifying its defense industry, but on deepening its specialization through the development of core production lines for the defense industry of Belarus. Currently, the officially identified main and most promising areas of work for the Belarusian defense and industrial complex in the interests of their own armed forces include:
- means of mobility for military purposes;
- combat geographic information systems;
- systems of complex counteraction to high-precision arms;
- UAVs and their systems;
- technical means of communication and automation, information technology, specialized software for advanced information acquisition and control systems, etc.
Today, Russia has scientific, technical and industrial cooperation with all Belarusian enterprises of the military-industrial complex and design bureau on practically 1 items of military-technical products. Component productions of the Republic of Belarus are used in the manufacture of Russian tanks, BMP and BMD, armored repair and recovery vehicles, MLRS and shells for them, self-propelled guns, anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems, small arms, as well as close combat weapons. Today, the basis of Belarusian supplies is navigation devices, aerobatic systems, space and satellite communications, antenna devices, radio stations, on-board and stationary computing systems, automation and software systems, as well as optical-mechanical, control and assembly equipment for the manufacture of ultra-large integrated circuits.
The Treaty on the Development of Military-Technical Cooperation, signed in 2010, strengthened relations between the defense industries of the two countries, which increased the efficiency of cooperation between countries in the supply of military products. So, in particular, for the first time, defense industry enterprises of Russia were able to work directly with Belarusian enterprises without the need to issue export-import licenses.
Main product
At present, products of the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant are of the greatest interest to Russia. This plant was a special production of MAZ, which became independent at the beginning of 1991. Starting from the 60s of the last century and up to the present, this plant is the main creator and manufacturer of “centipede” automobiles for mobile missile systems, as well as other systems, first for the Armed Forces of the USSR, and then for Russia.
Currently, MZKT mostly works in the interests of Russian customers, delivering MZKT-79221 eight-wheeled chassis, which serve as a base for the Russian mobile strategic missile systems Topol-M and Yars. The company also supplies the MZKT-7930 four-axle chassis to Russia, which is the basis for domestic Iskander-M operational tactical missile systems, the Bal and Bastino-P coastal anti-ship missile systems, as well as a wide variety of special and transport-charging machines. Another four-axle chassis - MZKT-79111 (variation MAZ-543) is used in the composition of the MLRS "Smerch" and the C-300П. By order of the Russian air defense concern Almaz-Antey, the Belarusian enterprise developed the MZKT-6922 three-axle chassis, which serves as a wheelbase for the Buk-M2E, Tor-2МE, Osa-AKM air defense systems, and for one of the radar systems The most modern C-400 air defense systems use a five-axle vehicle MZKT-79292.
Air Defense
Today, the 2556 th plant for the repair of electronic weapons (formerly owned by the USSR Ministry of Defense) is located in Borisov. In the Soviet period, they were engaged in repairing the C-75 and C-125 air defense systems, as well as a number of radar stations. This company was also the head of the repair of long-range air defense systems С-200В. After 1992, the Buk, Osa-AKM, Tunguska air defense missile systems, C-300PT / PS air defense missile systems, as well as a wide range of radars, control complexes and other ground equipment, were mastered here. Today, as part of the Russian-Belorussian MUIF “Defense Systems”, this plant is in the process of upgrading and exporting the C-125М to the Pechora-2М version. Performs work on the modernization of air defense systems on projects NIISA (Buk-MB) and NTP "Tetrahedr."
In the field of air defense systems, a large Minsk Scientific-Research Institute of Automation Facilities (NIISA) is operating, which until 2010, operated under the brand of the State Scientific Production Association “Agat”. This research institute in the USSR was the main enterprise for the development of mobile integrated systems (ACS) for troop control. In 1999, it was him who was assigned the task of creating and producing an ACS by troops, reconnaissance, weapons and EW, including means of displaying information, communications, radar and computing equipment. After 1992, a whole number of automated control systems were produced at the enterprise for the needs of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus, as well as for export. The institute specializes in the development of command posts of the Air Force and Air Defense at various levels, guidance points and the ACS of flight control.
Optics and electronics
The most successful Belarusian defense enterprises include Peleng OJSC located in Minsk. This enterprise was the leading developer of military optoelectronic systems and optical devices in the USSR. The main activity of the enterprise was and remains the development of sighting systems and sights for various armored vehicles. In this class, Peleng OJSC created the Rubezh-M sighting system (for the modernization of the BMP-2), as well as the commander's panoramic complex (which is mounted on new versions of the T-90 tank, as well as on the BMPT). The company is also engaged in the creation of the gunner's multichannel thermal imaging sights: Sosna and Sosna-U, which are used in the modernization of T-72 tanks, including the Slingshot option, as well as the Booklet thermal sights (for BMP-3М).
The company also produces single-channel thermal sights of the gunner "Essa", which are used on the T-90 and "Essa-72" tanks for the T-72 tanks, respectively, "Plisa" for (T-80U and T-90С), as well as "Spring -K "and" Sozh-M "(for BMP-3), as well as infrared searchlights PL-1. These systems are widely used for armored vehicles of both the Russian Armed Forces and for armored vehicles that Russia exports. The production of the systems "Plisa" and "Essa" is carried out in the framework of a joint venture with the Vologda Optical-Mechanical Plant (JV "Vizir"). For the production of thermal imaging systems, French thermal imagers of the Thales Catherine family are used, which are acquired and integrated by the Belarusian-Russian-French joint venture Sanoet.
Repair capacity
Also a major contribution to the development of the defense industry of Belarus is being made by repair plants. They allow it to have an independent base for the repair and modernization of military equipment, as well as export it abroad. For example, the 140 Armored Repair Plant located in Borisov is today the main tank repair base in the country. It can repair medium tanks T-55, OBT: T-72 and T-80, as well as BMP-1 and 2, all types of armored personnel carriers up to and including BTR-80, BRDM-2 and machines based on them, as well as quite wide nomenclature of diesel engines. Currently, the main income for the enterprise is the implementation of the overhaul of the listed armored vehicles both for the orders of the Belarusian armed forces and for export deliveries from the presence of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus. In particular, T-80BV tanks that were delivered to Yemen in the 2010-11 years were repaired here.
Another equally important repair enterprise is the 558th aircraft repair plant located in Baranavichy. He specializes in the repair of aircraft Tu-16, Su-17/22, Su-27. After the collapse of the USSR, repair of MiG-29, Su-25, An-2 aircraft, Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters was mastered here. At present, this enterprise is the main aircraft repair plant of the Belarusian Air Force, which is capable of repairing the main types aviation equipment in the arsenal of the country.
Collaboration between countries will grow
Russia is going to maximally use the existing potential of the Belarusian military-industrial complex as part of the rearmament program of the Russian Armed Forces. At the meeting of Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Rogozin and First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko in March 2012, an agreement was reached on the formation of a special Belarusian-Russian working group on the further activation of the MTC between the two countries. In particular, they talked about the creation of joint military-technical holdings, as well as the establishment of the release of the element base in the field of microelectronics. In this regard, Belarus has proposed a standardization in the field of the military industry, as well as the introduction of a single technical regulation in two countries. The question was also raised about equal access of enterprises from Belarus to participate in tenders held by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Currently, Belarus produces a number of samples of special and dual-purpose equipment, which has no foreign analogues. First of all, this refers to heavy multi-axle chassis designed for mounting various weapon systems. In particular, mobile soil systems such as "Yars" and "Topol-M". Belarus has a sufficiently large scientific base in the field of computer technology, microelectronics, optoelectronic and radar facilities, and also EW facilities. Traditionally, Belarusian software products, as well as automated control systems for weapons and troops, are rated at a very high level. In recent years, the development direction of UAVs has been developing at a fairly high pace.
Based on this, the intention of the political leadership of Russia to use the potential of the Belarusian military industrial complex to accelerate the pace of implementation of its own programs to re-equip the Russian army looks quite justified. In turn, this allows Belarusian enterprises to rely on a significant increase in the number of orders and foreign exchange earnings.
Sources used:
www.hvylya.org/analytics/economics/25712-oboronka-belorussii-ot-rossii-nikuda-ne-detsja.html
www.naviny.by/rubrics/society/2012/03/29/ic_articles_116_177334/
www.belvpo.com/1338.html
Currently, the defense industry of the Republic of Belarus has about 50 individual enterprises and organizations. At the same time, during the restructuring and conversion of the defense industry, Belarusian leaders managed to maintain the core of specialized military industries, including all 15 defense research institutes and design bureaus that existed in the BSSR, and also to create a certain intrarepublic cooperation between them. In addition, Belarus managed to create an R & D system and maintain sources of renewal of the defense sector of the national economy. In some ways, this is due to the attention paid to the defense-industrial complex by the administration of President A. Lukashenko.
Quite close political ties between Belarus and Russia allowed not only to maintain cooperation between the defense sectors of the two neighboring countries, but also provided Minsk with the opportunity to act as an absolutely legal re-exporter and “provider” of Russian weapons systems in a number of foreign markets, while carrying out legal modernization of Soviet and Russian weapons systems in close cooperation with their creators located in Russia. In addition, after the 2000 of the year, the authorities of Belarus were able to support their defense industrial complex, albeit with very limited, but constant and tangible defense orders (with the main support for modernization and informational solutions).
MZKT-7930, the base chassis for mobile complexes "Topol-M" and "Yars"
Currently in Belarus, the focus is not on diversifying its defense industry, but on deepening its specialization through the development of core production lines for the defense industry of Belarus. Currently, the officially identified main and most promising areas of work for the Belarusian defense and industrial complex in the interests of their own armed forces include:
- means of mobility for military purposes;
- combat geographic information systems;
- systems of complex counteraction to high-precision arms;
- UAVs and their systems;
- technical means of communication and automation, information technology, specialized software for advanced information acquisition and control systems, etc.
Today, Russia has scientific, technical and industrial cooperation with all Belarusian enterprises of the military-industrial complex and design bureau on practically 1 items of military-technical products. Component productions of the Republic of Belarus are used in the manufacture of Russian tanks, BMP and BMD, armored repair and recovery vehicles, MLRS and shells for them, self-propelled guns, anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems, small arms, as well as close combat weapons. Today, the basis of Belarusian supplies is navigation devices, aerobatic systems, space and satellite communications, antenna devices, radio stations, on-board and stationary computing systems, automation and software systems, as well as optical-mechanical, control and assembly equipment for the manufacture of ultra-large integrated circuits.
ZRK "Buk-2M" based on the chassis MZKT-6922
The Treaty on the Development of Military-Technical Cooperation, signed in 2010, strengthened relations between the defense industries of the two countries, which increased the efficiency of cooperation between countries in the supply of military products. So, in particular, for the first time, defense industry enterprises of Russia were able to work directly with Belarusian enterprises without the need to issue export-import licenses.
Main product
At present, products of the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant are of the greatest interest to Russia. This plant was a special production of MAZ, which became independent at the beginning of 1991. Starting from the 60s of the last century and up to the present, this plant is the main creator and manufacturer of “centipede” automobiles for mobile missile systems, as well as other systems, first for the Armed Forces of the USSR, and then for Russia.
Currently, MZKT mostly works in the interests of Russian customers, delivering MZKT-79221 eight-wheeled chassis, which serve as a base for the Russian mobile strategic missile systems Topol-M and Yars. The company also supplies the MZKT-7930 four-axle chassis to Russia, which is the basis for domestic Iskander-M operational tactical missile systems, the Bal and Bastino-P coastal anti-ship missile systems, as well as a wide variety of special and transport-charging machines. Another four-axle chassis - MZKT-79111 (variation MAZ-543) is used in the composition of the MLRS "Smerch" and the C-300П. By order of the Russian air defense concern Almaz-Antey, the Belarusian enterprise developed the MZKT-6922 three-axle chassis, which serves as a wheelbase for the Buk-M2E, Tor-2МE, Osa-AKM air defense systems, and for one of the radar systems The most modern C-400 air defense systems use a five-axle vehicle MZKT-79292.
LAW Pechora-2M
Air Defense
Today, the 2556 th plant for the repair of electronic weapons (formerly owned by the USSR Ministry of Defense) is located in Borisov. In the Soviet period, they were engaged in repairing the C-75 and C-125 air defense systems, as well as a number of radar stations. This company was also the head of the repair of long-range air defense systems С-200В. After 1992, the Buk, Osa-AKM, Tunguska air defense missile systems, C-300PT / PS air defense missile systems, as well as a wide range of radars, control complexes and other ground equipment, were mastered here. Today, as part of the Russian-Belorussian MUIF “Defense Systems”, this plant is in the process of upgrading and exporting the C-125М to the Pechora-2М version. Performs work on the modernization of air defense systems on projects NIISA (Buk-MB) and NTP "Tetrahedr."
In the field of air defense systems, a large Minsk Scientific-Research Institute of Automation Facilities (NIISA) is operating, which until 2010, operated under the brand of the State Scientific Production Association “Agat”. This research institute in the USSR was the main enterprise for the development of mobile integrated systems (ACS) for troop control. In 1999, it was him who was assigned the task of creating and producing an ACS by troops, reconnaissance, weapons and EW, including means of displaying information, communications, radar and computing equipment. After 1992, a whole number of automated control systems were produced at the enterprise for the needs of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus, as well as for export. The institute specializes in the development of command posts of the Air Force and Air Defense at various levels, guidance points and the ACS of flight control.
Optics and electronics
The most successful Belarusian defense enterprises include Peleng OJSC located in Minsk. This enterprise was the leading developer of military optoelectronic systems and optical devices in the USSR. The main activity of the enterprise was and remains the development of sighting systems and sights for various armored vehicles. In this class, Peleng OJSC created the Rubezh-M sighting system (for the modernization of the BMP-2), as well as the commander's panoramic complex (which is mounted on new versions of the T-90 tank, as well as on the BMPT). The company is also engaged in the creation of the gunner's multichannel thermal imaging sights: Sosna and Sosna-U, which are used in the modernization of T-72 tanks, including the Slingshot option, as well as the Booklet thermal sights (for BMP-3М).
The thermal sight gunner "Pine-U" is used on the tank T-90MS
The company also produces single-channel thermal sights of the gunner "Essa", which are used on the T-90 and "Essa-72" tanks for the T-72 tanks, respectively, "Plisa" for (T-80U and T-90С), as well as "Spring -K "and" Sozh-M "(for BMP-3), as well as infrared searchlights PL-1. These systems are widely used for armored vehicles of both the Russian Armed Forces and for armored vehicles that Russia exports. The production of the systems "Plisa" and "Essa" is carried out in the framework of a joint venture with the Vologda Optical-Mechanical Plant (JV "Vizir"). For the production of thermal imaging systems, French thermal imagers of the Thales Catherine family are used, which are acquired and integrated by the Belarusian-Russian-French joint venture Sanoet.
Repair capacity
Also a major contribution to the development of the defense industry of Belarus is being made by repair plants. They allow it to have an independent base for the repair and modernization of military equipment, as well as export it abroad. For example, the 140 Armored Repair Plant located in Borisov is today the main tank repair base in the country. It can repair medium tanks T-55, OBT: T-72 and T-80, as well as BMP-1 and 2, all types of armored personnel carriers up to and including BTR-80, BRDM-2 and machines based on them, as well as quite wide nomenclature of diesel engines. Currently, the main income for the enterprise is the implementation of the overhaul of the listed armored vehicles both for the orders of the Belarusian armed forces and for export deliveries from the presence of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus. In particular, T-80BV tanks that were delivered to Yemen in the 2010-11 years were repaired here.
Another equally important repair enterprise is the 558th aircraft repair plant located in Baranavichy. He specializes in the repair of aircraft Tu-16, Su-17/22, Su-27. After the collapse of the USSR, repair of MiG-29, Su-25, An-2 aircraft, Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters was mastered here. At present, this enterprise is the main aircraft repair plant of the Belarusian Air Force, which is capable of repairing the main types aviation equipment in the arsenal of the country.
Belarusian UAV Griff-1
Collaboration between countries will grow
Russia is going to maximally use the existing potential of the Belarusian military-industrial complex as part of the rearmament program of the Russian Armed Forces. At the meeting of Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Rogozin and First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko in March 2012, an agreement was reached on the formation of a special Belarusian-Russian working group on the further activation of the MTC between the two countries. In particular, they talked about the creation of joint military-technical holdings, as well as the establishment of the release of the element base in the field of microelectronics. In this regard, Belarus has proposed a standardization in the field of the military industry, as well as the introduction of a single technical regulation in two countries. The question was also raised about equal access of enterprises from Belarus to participate in tenders held by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Currently, Belarus produces a number of samples of special and dual-purpose equipment, which has no foreign analogues. First of all, this refers to heavy multi-axle chassis designed for mounting various weapon systems. In particular, mobile soil systems such as "Yars" and "Topol-M". Belarus has a sufficiently large scientific base in the field of computer technology, microelectronics, optoelectronic and radar facilities, and also EW facilities. Traditionally, Belarusian software products, as well as automated control systems for weapons and troops, are rated at a very high level. In recent years, the development direction of UAVs has been developing at a fairly high pace.
Based on this, the intention of the political leadership of Russia to use the potential of the Belarusian military industrial complex to accelerate the pace of implementation of its own programs to re-equip the Russian army looks quite justified. In turn, this allows Belarusian enterprises to rely on a significant increase in the number of orders and foreign exchange earnings.
Sources used:
www.hvylya.org/analytics/economics/25712-oboronka-belorussii-ot-rossii-nikuda-ne-detsja.html
www.naviny.by/rubrics/society/2012/03/29/ic_articles_116_177334/
www.belvpo.com/1338.html
Information