BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

27/11/2007

Belarus to modernize its arms and equipment - president

MINSK, November 27 (Itar-Tass) - Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko declares that the republic has the opportunity to modernize armaments and military equipment. "The defence potential is highly important to us. To keep abreast of the times it is necessary to purchase new armaments and complexes or to modernize the equipment adopted for service," Lukashenko said during his visit to the State Military Industrial Committee on Tuesday. He said, "We (Belarus) have taken the third way: we will purchase what we need, but the modernization of armaments must become the main trend." He stressed that this is on the whole cheaper and will give an impetus to the Belarussian industry.

Lukashenko noted that Belarus had scored certain success in the modernization of equipment for the air force, land forces and air defence missile complexes. "If we learn to do this our country, we will be able to render services to those who have these armaments and equipment," he said.

Meanwhile the president expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that the schedule for the modernization of the Buk air defence missiles complex had not been adhered to. "Time passed and the schedules have not been kept. These are very effective armaments if they are modernized. And this is what our armed forces need," Lukashenko said. He noted that the decision about profound modernization of the Buk air defence missile complex had been passed. Meanwhile the schedules for modernization were being extended again and again, and under the latest request these works were to be extended till the end of the year. "It is obvious that the modernization will not be completed this year," Lukashenko noted.

He said it is necessary to give answers to the questions: "Are we capable of modernizing the Buk air defence missile complex, can this enhance substantively the capabilities of our air defences, and will it be possible to export these complexes."

Source:

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=12114767&PageNum=0