Opinions & Interviews

LIDA, 1 November (BelTA) – The national defense plan will be adjusted in 2019, BelTA learned from Belarusian Defense Minister Andrei Ravkov during the practical stage of a conference for commanding officers of the Belarusian army in Lida District, Grodno Oblast on 1 November.

The defense minister said: “The next year will be momentous for military planning. We will have to adjust the national defense plan for 2020-2024. It will be approved by the head of state in late 2019. The document will specify in detail how the state will proceed to protect its interests and territory. The document will implement all the postulates of the Military Doctrine.” Apart from that, the Belarusian army will have to carry out important state tasks next year. The number will include preparations for and the actual celebration of the 75^th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation, efforts to secure air space for the duration of the 2nd European Games Minsk 2019.

Attention will be paid to participation in the International Army Games 2019. The Belarusian army intends to participate in 19 contests and beat this year’s results (ten prize places in 16 contests). In the next academic year a number of training events will take place within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in Belarus and abroad. The joint tactical exercise Union Shield 2019 (Shchit Soyuza 2019) in Russia will be one of them.

Andrei Ravkov stressed that preserving the life and health of military personnel, enforcing military discipline in army units will remain a priority.

Andrei Ravkov also summed up results of this academic year. In his words, the year has been intensive and productive particularly from the point of view of efforts to enhance the combat potential, train and reequip the troops. About 80 command training events and over 1,000 combat training events have been arranged this year. Apart from that, the troops had to respond to two surprise inspections. According to the defense minister, the results indicate that the Belarusian army is ready and capable of carrying out its missions.

This year the Belarusian army has received over 50 new and modernized weapon systems and vehicle types. The army continues receiving more light armored vehicles, modernized armored personnel carriers, and radio electronic equipment designed for various purposes. All the measures specified by the rearmament plan, which is part of the Belarusian army development plan, have been fulfilled.

The conference for commanding officers in Lida District on 1 November finished the academic year. Participants of the conference were made familiar with peculiarities of preparing a mechanized brigade for a forced river crossing followed by an actual crossing. The scale of the educational event was unprecedented. About 1,000 personnel and over 200 combat vehicles and special vehicles took part in it.

The theoretical part of the conference will take place in the Military Academy on 2 November. The event will end with the commendation of commanding officers of army units, which have demonstrated the best results this academic year.