World news

Two new modern helicopters Mi-8MTB5-1 were demonstrated to Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in the Obuz-Lesnovsky exercise area on 19 October when the head of state took part in the revision of professional skills and competence of Belarusian army officer.

A short while ago the Belarusian army received six modern Mi-8 helicopters of this modification from the helicopter factory based in Kazan, Russia. The Belarusian army is expected to get another six helicopters of this kind.

One of the helicopters demonstrated to the Belarus President is designed for search and rescue operations while the other one is meant for combat missions and transportation.

Mi-8 helicopters have been in use for decades and have earned respect all over the world. So far over 12,000 helicopters have been made and sold to over 100 countries.

Within the month Belarusian and Russian airborne commandoes are to  jointly carry out two full-scale drills.

The drills are to host  more than 1 200 military personnel and to feature around 100 pieces of military and special equipment. The event is to part in Belarus.  During the drills airborne commandoes of the two countries shall master missions on annihilation of illegal armed formations and to drill actions on sheltering Union State border.

" Joint drills of the Belarusian and Russian airborne commandos has increased recently.  In 2015  Russian Airborne troops jointly with special operation forces of the Armed Force  of Belarus carried out 26 combat training activities, and in this year – 38 already ", - states the  Information and Mass Communication Department of the Ministry of Defense of Russia.

One of the joint drills is to be carried out within the period from October 7^th till October 20^th.

The Belarusian multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) Polonez is the key exhibit during the international defense industry expo ADEX 2016 that opened in Baku, Azerbaijan on 27 September.

It is the first demonstration of the latest Belarusian MLRS abroad. The vehicle attracted close attention of guests and participants of the expo. Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev also had a look at Belarusian defense products while visiting the exhibition stand of the Belarusian enterprise Precision Electromechanics Factory.

This year's expo gathered 216 companies from 34 countries. Among other things the forum highlights modern defense and security solutions, information and space technologies, administrative and technical support for army units.

Ten countries presented national pavilions during the expo. The most popular ones are those of Turkey, Israel, Russia, and Belarus.

The Belarusian stand has been organized by the defense products exporter Belspetsvneshtechnika. Eight companies presented capabilities of the Belarusian defense industry during the expo by putting over 90 products on display. The product range includes fire delivery systems, combat geoinformation systems, optics and electronically enhanced optic systems, Belarusian robot technology R&D products, radiolocation and radio warfare solutions.

The expo will stay open till 30 September.

The multiple-launch rocket system (MRLS) Polonez is now part of the arsenal of the 336th missile artillery brigade of the Belarusian army.

“The Polonez system is meant to augment the missile battalion of the brigade. The Polonez system will greatly improve the combat ability of missile and artillery units as well as the defensive capability of Belarus as a whole,” said Major-General Oleg Belokonev, Chief of the General Staff of the Belarusian army, First Deputy Defense Minister.

The main tactical and technical parameters of the Polonez system are on par with the best foreign competitors. “Many technical solutions implemented by Belarusian designers are unparalleled in the world. The adoption of new armaments is part of the strategic deterrence measures. Multiple-launch rocket systems represent the most powerful means to provide fire support to ground troops,” noted Oleg Belokonev.

Unique capabilities of this system were confirmed during a live fire test in Gomel Oblast. The live fire test was performed by the 336th missile artillery brigade of the Belarusian army. “Two firing sessions were staged. The targets were hit. The test confirmed the effectiveness and reliability of the system. The crews that serviced the MLRS unit demonstrated a high level of training. They had been trained for over two months by the manufacturing company,” said Colonel Alexander Tishkevich, commander of the 336th missile artillery brigade.

MRLS Polonez is designed to deliver strikes against enemy personnel in the open and in shelters as well as unarmored and armored fighting vehicles and special vehicles, artillery units, missile systems and air defense missile systems, aircraft at airfields. MRLS Polonez can deliver strikes as far as 50-200km with a high degree of precision.

The Belarusian Air Force will get new aircraft soon, the press service of the Belarusian Defense Ministry told.

According to the source, the army will soon get a number of Mi-8 MTV-5 helicopters. The decision to buy four Yak-130 combat and training aircraft has been made as well.

The Defense Ministry noted that the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense units are developed taking into account global trends concerning the use of armed forces, creation and improvement of armaments and defense technologies while bearing in mind the plan on developing the Belarusian army till 2020. According to the source, in 2015 the Belarusian army received several state-of-the-art Yak-130 aircraft, which are unparalleled in their class. Following the relevant instruction of the Belarus president ten MiG-29 aircraft were overhauled.

At present some of the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense units as well as air defense missile troops and radio warfare units take care of the air defense security of Belarus and ensure sovereignty in the Eastern Europe collective security region. Flight crews also carry out other missions, including search and rescue operations, law enforcement assistance, and emergency transport for healthcare purposes.

The present generation of Belarusian Air Force pilots improves its skills, vividly demonstrating high readiness and the ability to tackle complicated combat training tasks. Over 1,200 flights have been performed and nearly 150 tonnes of cargoes has been transported as part of joint training exercises involving units of the Air Force and Air Defense, operational command units, special operations forces, and power-wielding agencies.

A number of tactical air force exercises have been arranged this year. The 116th Guards Assault Airbase carried out eight launches of guided air-to-air missiles using Yak-130 aircraft. Since 2012 Belarusian fighter aircraft crews are trained domestically, greatly reducing the cost of training.

Belarusian Air Force pilots demonstrated outstanding piloting skills during the air parade as part of the latest Independence Day celebrations. For the first time in the history of aviation Yak-130, Su-25, and MiG-29 aircraft landed in an airfield section of a motorway at night.

The modern generation of Air Force pilots can take care of the national military security, added representatives of the Belarusian Defense Ministry.