Belarusian-Chinese military exercises “Attacking Falcon”
Chinese soldiers in Belarus
In recent years, Belarus and China have been actively developing cooperation in the military sphere. One of the steps in this direction was the joint exercise “Attacking Falcon”, which began on the territory of Belarus.
During these exercises, military personnel of the two countries will practice interaction and share experience in the fight against terrorism. This event is aimed at strengthening cooperation between Belarus and China in the military field.
Joint exercises
On July 6, military personnel of the People's Liberation Army of China arrived in Belarus to participate in joint exercises. The Belarusian military organized a solemn welcoming ceremony. A delegation of the Central Military Council also arrived from the PRC to conduct negotiations and exchange experiences.
After the required preparations, the opening ceremony of the joint exercise “Attacking Falcon” took place on July 8. It was carried out at the Brestsky training ground in the western part of the Republic of Belarus. The main episodes of maneuvers, training battles, etc. should take place on this same site.
The Belarusian army is represented at the exercises by the Special Operations Forces. Their commander, Major General Vadim Denisenko, noted that the situation in the world remains difficult, and therefore the Special Forces are studying new forms and methods of solving tactical problems. The experience of recent years in this area will be used in joint exercises.
Belarusian participants of the exercises
The Belarusian Ministry of Defense revealed the main goals and objectives of the exercise. "Attack Falcon" is positioned as an anti-terrorist training exercise. During this event, units of the two countries will work out issues of combating illegal armed groups and interaction in solving such problems. The training program includes training battles in different conditions, overcoming water obstacles, night landing, etc.
Learning Objectives
According to the exercise plan, part of the combat training tasks will be carried out by existing units of the two participating armies. In addition, at some stages of the exercises, combined units will be formed, which will include military personnel from both countries. This will allow us to work out interactions and other issues in more detail.
On July 9, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus spoke about the first episodes of the exercises. At the training ground, training participants conducted an airborne training session. Soldiers from the two armies checked and stowed the parachute systems included in their equipment. Ground training was also conducted to practice jumps and other elements of landing.
During the training, paratroopers of the Belarusian army and the PLA demonstrated their readiness for future training landings. The date of training jumps followed by a battle against a mock enemy has not yet been specified.
Training battles in urban areas, the fight against mock terrorists and other events are planned for the coming days. The exercises will last until July 19, and the involved military personnel will have enough time to work out all the issues, accumulate joint experience, and so on.
Airborne training classes
Long-time cooperation
Minsk and Beijing have been cooperating in the military sphere for a long time, and the results of this cooperation are varied. In particular, interaction is actively developing within the framework of joint exercises and other events. In addition, work is underway in the field of military equipment.
The Attack Falcon training that is taking place now is not the first of its kind. In recent years, China and Belarus have repeatedly conducted joint exercises. To participate in them, the Belarusian military went to Chinese training grounds. Now representatives of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) visited the Republic of Belarus on a return visit.
It is also worth recalling a number of Russian large-scale exercises that have taken place in recent years. Representatives of other countries, including China and Belarus, were invited to these maneuvers as observers and/or participants. In recent years, military personnel from Minsk and Beijing have not only observed mock battles, but also actively participated in them, as was the case in the Vostok-2022 exercises.
It is interesting that the Belarusian and Chinese commands pay great attention to the issues of troop training and interaction in this area. For example, on the eve of the start of the “Attacking Falcon”, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus and the delegation of the Central Military Council of the People's Republic of China held negotiations on the organization of the educational process. In particular, they discussed ways to improve the training system in military educational institutions.
There is also military-technical cooperation between the two countries. The most famous example is the Polonez project, in which enterprises from both countries developed a new multiple launch rocket system with improved characteristics. In this project, the Chinese side provided missiles of their own design, and the Belarusian industry produced a platform for them and integrated all the necessary tools.
Cooperation is also taking place in other areas. The Belarusian army is actively purchasing various military and dual-use products offered by Chinese industry. For example, light unmanned aerial vehicles of popular models and other models were previously presented.
Desired benefit
Thus, Minsk and Beijing continue to strengthen cooperation in the military sphere. They implement new joint projects, hold events and conclude contracts. Such interaction is beneficial for both countries, since each of them receives its own advantages.
The main ally of Belarus throughout its modern stories is Russia. Within the framework of the Union State and in other ways, Belarus receives assistance from Russia in the form of technical, organizational and other assistance. Recently, cooperation between the two countries has reached the point of deploying nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus.
However, Minsk is not limited to one strategic partner. In the current international situation, the only major state ready to cooperate with Belarus is China. The Belarusian leadership is using this opportunity. He is interested in Chinese developments and technology, experience in army construction, and so on. Now we can see how this cooperation is developing and what forms it is taking.
It is obvious that Beijing is also interested in interacting with Belarus in the military sphere. Considering the history of cooperation between the two countries, it can be assumed that China views the Belarusian army as a good and convenient partner and customer to whom it can sell its developments and technologies.
Perhaps a geopolitical factor also plays a role here. The Attack Falcon exercises are held in the eastern part of Europe, and without the participation of Belarus, China would hardly be able to expand its military activity in this region. It is not yet clear how exactly the Chinese People's Liberation Army will use its experience in Eastern Europe, but they did not miss the opportunity to accumulate it.
It is important to note that cooperation between Belarus and China is not limited to just these two countries. They also interact with Russia. Therefore, we can talk about a trilateral scheme of mutually beneficial cooperation on various issues in the field of defense and security. Each participant in this scheme receives the desired benefits from the other two countries and at the same time does not remain in debt, helping them to the best of his ability.
Win-win approach
The Republic of Belarus and China have long been cooperating in the field of defense, security and military forces. Their partnership continues to develop, bringing new and interesting results. For example, joint anti-terrorist exercises were recently conducted, and long-range multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) were developed.
We can assume that this cooperation will continue and we will hear about new joint projects in the future. How exactly relations between the two countries will develop and what they will lead to, time will tell.
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