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Belarus' defense minister: President endorses approaches to armament program 2026-2030
MINSK, 11 May (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has approved the approaches outlined in the State Armament Program 2026-2030, Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin told the media following a meeting with the head of state, BelTA has learned.
“The president agreed with our approaches in the draft state armament program for the five-year period,” the defense minister said. “We decided what we need, what types of weapons... This [the state armament program] is a tool for executing the plan for the construction of the Armed Forces.”
According to Viktor Khrenin, the draft of the new state program specifies the priority types of weaponry needed by the Belarusian army. “The Commander-in-Chief has said many times that Belarus is a wooded, swampy area and we must know how to defend it. The focus remains on the development of small arms, the training of our servicemen, and their procurement,” the defense minister said. At the same time, he added, the draft state armament program takes into account the financial capabilities of the state and the capabilities of the military-industrial complex.
Viktor Khrenin noted that the draft state armament program defines seven priorities to adhere to. These include electronic warfare assets, reconnaissance, communications, counter-battery warfare, and short-range air defense. “These priorities were clearly outlined and presented to the president, taking into account the capabilities of our economy,” he said.
Speaking about the prioritization of certain types of weaponry, the defense minister drew attention to certain global trends in this area. In particular, many countries are working on the challenge of countering unmanned aerial vehicles. “We are not standing still either, and we are working on it too,” Viktor Khrenin noted.
The head of state was also briefed on the results of the state armament program for 2021-2025. Thanks to the program, the share of modern systems in the Armed Forces rose to 45% over the past five years. “The most important thing is that we did not fall behind. On the contrary, we increased the number of modern weapon systems and enhanced the combat potential of the Armed Forces,” the minister emphasized.
Viktor Khrenin added that it is important not only to produce weapons but also to operate them correctly. According to him, the Belarusian army has no issues with the operation of modern weaponry and equipment. “No matter how powerful a weapon may be, only a well-trained person can use it effectively. In the past five-year period, we focused on the delivery of modern Su-30SM2 fighter jets. The Tor-M [surface-to-air missile system] is also a very serious weapon. Our servicemen operate it, they are not afraid of it, they request it, they ask for it. Naturally, we also demand that they handle this weapon with care,” the defense minister noted.
As it was noted during the meeting, the share of modern systems in the Armed Forces rose to 45% in 2021-2025. The minister noted that this figure could be increased. At the same time, Viktor Khrenin urged to observe the principle of reasonable sufficiency. The economy cannot, under any circumstances, be allowed to fall into dependence on the defense industry. “We see that the militarization has gained enormous momentum in the world. Because of this, those countries that have fewer resources could suffer serious economic, political, and also military damage,” he believes.
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