Belarus sets priorities for new state armament programme

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has approved the strategic directions of the country’s State Armament Program for 2026–2030, Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said following a meeting with the head of state, BelTA reported.

“The president agreed with our approaches in the draft state armament program for the five-year period,” Khrenin 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 Khrenin, the draft outlines priority categories of weaponry for the Belarusian military, shaped by both operational needs and economic constraints.

“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,” he said.

He added that the programme takes into account “the financial capabilities of the state and the capabilities of the military-industrial complex.”

Khrenin said the plan identifies seven key priorities, including electronic warfare systems, reconnaissance, communications, counter-battery capabilities and short-range air defence.

The minister also briefed Lukashenko on the results of the 2021–2025 armament programme, under which the share of modern systems in Belarus’s armed forces rose to 45%.

“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,” he said.

Khrenin stressed the importance of training alongside procurement, citing recent acquisitions such as Su-30SM2 fighter jets and Tor-M air defence systems.

“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,” he said.

He added that the share of modern systems could still be increased, while emphasising “reasonable sufficiency” in defence spending.

“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 warned.

Lukashenko has stressed the importance of modern weaponry for the country’s armed forces, saying defence objectives cannot be met without properly equipped troops, during a meeting on state armament programmes and defence procurement on 11 May, BelTA reported.

Reviewing progress under the 2021–2025 armament programme and outlining priorities for the next period, he emphasised the need for practical systems suited to operational realities.

“It is impossible to accomplish defense objectives without equipping our troops with modern weapons. We must have weapons that we can actually use, know how to operate,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

He also pointed to Belarus’ geography as a key factor in defence planning.

“This is not a desert, not even the Ukrainian steppes. Therefore, we need to acquire and develop the weapons that we will need,” he stated.

Referring to recent global conflicts, Lukashenko argued that air power alone is insufficient without ground operations.

“At the same time, the Belarusian leader noted that without fundamental weapons that a soldier must master, it is impossible to win a war: “Recent conflicts demonstrate this. Take, for example, the armed confrontation between Iran, Israel, and the USA - what did it show? They bombed, they pounded with bombs and missiles... And what - did they win? No. No success is possible without a ground operation.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev