Belarusian defence industry recovers from last year’s scandal

For years, these were Belarusian specialists, who worked on construction of the powerful air defence system for Venezuela, writes Siarhei Bohdan.

Last month, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro promised his people that very soon Venezuela would get the most powerful air defence system capable to stop every attempt at illegal entering the country’s air space.

The statement by Venezuelan head of state means that Belarusian side managed to sort out that serious crisis which encountered Belarusian military industry abroad just a year ago. Back then, a light airplane of a Swedish PR-agency illegally entered Belarusian air space. Allegedly, to promote democracy by symbolically bombarding Belarus with teddy-bears. But as the leading Belarusian military expert Aliaksandr Alesin recently noted on naviny.by, it might as well serve discrediting the Belarusian military capabilities and defence industry. Recent news show, it has not happened.

Belarusian “contract of the century”

The national defence industry has achieved some successes in last decade by specialising on modernisation of equipment and development of its own new systems along Soviet technological lines. Especially impressive are the innovations in air defence – no wonder, Belarus has maintained from the Soviet times probably the most comprehensive air defence system among all former Soviet states. 

In recent years, Belarus achieved some qualitative breakthrough by developing new systems and extending arms exports of own – and not remaining from Soviet times – defence products. For example, Belarusians got contracts for modernisation of air defence in Azerbaijan and apparently sold some of their products to Iran (not admitted by Minsk). Yet the most lucrative contract was, of course, the Venezuelan one.

While visiting Caracas in December 2007 Aliaksandr Lukashenka signed with the then president Hugo Chavez of Venezuela an agreement on construction of the single air defence system and radio-electronic warfare system in Venezuela. Belarus had to coordinate the project, and to cooperate with Russian, Chinese and Iranian companies.

Afterwards, Belarus sent numerous military advisors to Venezuela who had to ensure complete creation of the air defence system in six years. It went well until the Swedish action of last summer. After that accident, Hugo Chavez allegedly thought again about reliability of his Belarusian partners.

Belarusian Defence Industry Vindicated After Last Summer Failure

To assure him, Belarus sent its leading air defence expert Aleh Paferau to serve as ambassador to Venezuela. He was a perfect figure for that assignment being the former Belarusian air force and air defence commander. In addition Paferau, while serving as a deputy chairman of the State Military Industrial Committee of Belarus actually participated in the conclusion of the “contract of the century” with Venezuela. And he succeeded. By autumn, the Venezuelan air defence and electronic warfare systems shall be essentially completed, say Venezuelan and Belarusian officials.

Of course, another accident also vindicated Belarusian defence industry after Swedish failure. In February, the Iranian TV broadcast a film about interjection of an US drone which entered the Iranian air space in December 2011. The film demonstrated how Iran deployed Belarusian-made Vostok-E system to intercept the American  remotely piloted vehicle.

It had effect and although the US immediately sanctioned two Belarusian enterprises, Minsk could demonstrate some tangible and battle-proven achievement to its foreign friends. In May, as the Vietnamese prime minister visited Minsk, Belarusian officials claimed to have achieved an agreement with Hanoi on selling Belarusian unmanned aerial vehicles to Vietnam. A month ago, Belarus agreed to sell about 20 Vostok-E radar systems to Vietnam, as well as send advisers to train Vietnamese operators for them.

Forever with Moscow?

But Belarus is limited in its weapons business abroad. Any big deal requires involvement of Russia. Sophisticated Belarusian military products, require components produced in Russia or other post-Soviet republics. And this dependence on Russia increased in recent decade as Minsk has exhausted its stocks of Soviet-times equipment or this equipment became obsolete. Now Belarusians produce equipment themselves.

Creation of Venezuelan air defence system illustrates this complementary feature of Belarusian defence industry. Thus, as command center of the system, Belarus chose its native automated fire control station Bor-1M. In addition, Minsk provides Venezuela with radar equipment and radio-electronic combat systems of own production. Among them, of course, the above-mentioned Vostok-E developed by the firm KB Radar in Minsk. But that is essentially all, for the remaining components of Venezuelan air defence system Belarus has to resort to Russian weapons.

As for surface-to-air missiles, most probably S-125 Pechora-2M on the chassis of the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MZKT) will be used in Venezuela, after their modernisation at Belarusian and Russian factories. Some other important components of Pechoras are also developed and produced by Belarusian firms, yet essentially Pechora is a Russian product.

In addition, Venezuela ordered from Russia some items of more modern systems S-300 and Buk-M2E. Minsk again cannot provide such arms itself independently, although the Buk launchers are also installed on Belarusian MZKT chassis. Caracas had also to complement these purchases by buying from Russia Zu-23s cannons and Igla-S man-portable surface-to-air missiles. 

Is Russia ready to recognise Belarus as ally?

Evidently, Belarus has to cooperate with Russia on big arms and defence modernisation deals. It is not something extraordinary, as allied states are usually cooperating in defence industry. Yet Russian policies towards defence cooperation with Belarus look more like a desire to grab the most efficient Belarusian firms in defence industry.

The best example is the same MZKT which produces chassis of proven world quality. Kremlin some years ago launched a policy of replacing all the components of Russian weapons produced in former Soviet republics with Russian-made ones. Since at least early 2010s, it made no exclusion for its closest ally – Belarus. Russian military decided to replace Belarusian chassis of Russian missile systems with Russian equivalents which were not even available at the time.

It led Russia to an idea of buying the MZKT – one of the best Belarusian firms. Moscow has a lot of means to pressure Minsk with its financial troubles into selling the works. That would both undermine the future prospects of Belarusian economic development and will further diminish the importance of Belarus to Russia.

Exactly such situations show Belarusian officials and businessmen the risks of cooperation with Russia. Russian side apparently is not eager to do business together with Belarusians, it wants to take business from them. Moscow simply declines to accept Belarus as a partner despite all geopolitical and strategic proximity and commitments of Belarus concerning its alliance with Russia.

The Belarusian opposition and Western politicians should avoid demonising Belarusian defence industry and military. It would be wiser to provide them with realistic prospects of positive future - alternative to being gripped by Russia. Demonization of defence industries and military by reformist forces in the former Soviet republics in 1990s - especially in Russia and Ukraine brought no good and led to backlash with grave political consequences.

BelarusDigest