Belarusian Ground Forces

The Belarusian Ground Forces is a service branch of the Armed Forces of Belarus. It is considered to be the seniormost and notable service branch in the armed forces. The current commander-in-chief of the ground forces is Major General Alexander Nikitin.

Belarusian Ground Forces
Сухопутные войска Республики Беларусь
Сухапутныя войскі Рэспублікі Беларусь
Shoulder Patch of the Belarusian Ground Forces
Founded20 March 1992
Country Belarus
Branch Armed Forces of Belarus
TypeGround Force
Size16,500 (2016)
Part ofDefence Ministry of Belarus
HeadquartersMinsk
Nickname(s)Belarusian Land Forces
Belarusian Army
ColorsRed
AnniversariesFebruary 23
Commanders
Commander-in-chiefAlexander Lukashenko
Commander of the Ground ForcesMajor General Alexander Nikitin
Insignia
Flag

History

The ground forces were founded on March 20, 1992, on the same day the Defence Ministry of Belarus was established. By 1994, the ground forces had over 50,000 troops, most being former soldiers of the Soviet Army's Belorussian Military District. The army equipment which was used at the time included 79 T-54s, 639 T-55s, 291 T-62s, 299 T-64s, 8 T-80s, and 1,800 T-72s. In December of 2001, the Ground Forces underwent a major reorganization which produced two operational-territorial commands which are similar to Russia's military districts. The two commands that were formed from this reorganization were the Western Operational Command at Grodno, and the North Western Operational Command, at Barysaw.[1][2] At around the same time, the headquarters of the Ground Forces was established on the basis of the former 5th Guards Tank Army.[3][4]

Structure

Headquarters (Minsk)

Western Operational Command

North Western Operational Command

Specialized forces

The specialized forces are designed to support the combat activities of the Ground Forces and solve their inherent tasks. They include formations and military units of intelligence, communications, engineering, radiation, chemical and biological defense, electronic warfare, navigation and topographic.[5]

  • Electronic Warfare Troops
  • Signal Troops
  • Engineer Troops
  • NBC Protection Troops
  • Topographic Navigation Service

Signals Troops

The Signal Troops are separate special forces that act as the communications system between troops in the Armed Forces and territorial troops. It is grounded in communications and command and control equipment, radio intelligence and special radio equipment communication. The official holiday of the Signal Troops is 20 October, which was the day in 1919 when the Department of Communications of the Red Army was formed. Over the course of post-war years, with the transition of the troops to a peaceful situation, the communications troops of the Belarusian Military District, and later the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, took measures to restore and develop the stationary communications system, deploy communication systems of garrisons and military camps, and conditions.[6] In 2019, the Ministry of Communications and Informatization commemorated its centennial with a holiday stamp.[7]

NBC Protection Troops

The Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops (Russian: Войска радиационной, химической и биологической защиты; Войска РХБ защиты)) are the forces designed to endure their combat tasks in conditions of radioactive, chemical and biological contamination, For about ten years, as part of a limited contingent of Soviet Army, chemical troops fought in Afghanistan, where such chemical support tasks as the use of flamethrowing incendiary agents and aerosols were effective in combating rebels. Many representatives of the chemical troops participating in the war were awarded military orders and medals. In the course of eliminating the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, given the training and technical equipment of the chemical forces, they were assigned some of the most difficult work. The Department of Chemical Forces was created on 1 June 1992 on the basis of the disbanded Directorate of the Belarusian Military District and was included in the General Staff of the Armed Forces. On 21 December 2001, in connection with the creation of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, the department of chemical forces of the Main Headquarters of the Armed Forces was reorganized and included in it as a department of the Republican Chemical Chemistry for Protection and Ecology of the General Staff of the Armed Forces.[8]

Equipment
Model Picture Country of Origin Type Number in service Notes
Tanks
T-72  Soviet Union Main battle tank 532 (inc T-72B3)[9] Mainly T-72B version. Four mechanized brigades.[10] At least 24 upgraded to the B3M level.[11][12][13][14][15]
Infantry vehicles
BMD-1  Soviet Union Airborne infantry fighting vehicle 124 in 1995, 154 in 2000, 2003 and 2005.[16][17]
BMP-1  Soviet Union Infantry fighting vehicle 132[18] BRM-1 version
BMP-2  Soviet Union Infantry fighting vehicle 932[18] Operated by two mechanized brigades.[18]
Armored personnel carriers
BTR-70  Soviet Union
 Armoured personnel carrier 39[10] Used by the Special Forces of Belarus. Upgraded BTR-70MB1.
BTR-80  Soviet Union
 Russia		 Armoured personnel carrier 153[10] Belarus signed a contract on two battalion sets of BTR-82A.[19] In Special Forces.
MT-LB  Soviet Union Armoured personnel carrier 50[10]
Armored cars
BRDM-2  Soviet Union
 Amphibious armoured scout car
Artillery
BM-21 Grad  Soviet Union
 Belarus		 Multiple rocket launcher 126[10] Partially upgraded to BM-21A "Belgrad".
BM-27 Uragan  Soviet Union
 Self-propelled artillery 72[10] Partially upgraded to Uragan-M.[20]
BM-30 Smerch  Soviet Union Multiple rocket launcher 36[10]
Polonez (MRL)  Belarus Multiple rocket launcher 4[10]
OTR-21 Tochka  Soviet Union Tactical ballistic missile 38[21]
Scud  Soviet Union Tactical ballistic missile 60[10]
2S1 Gvozdika  Soviet Union Self-propelled artillery 198[10]
2S3 Akatsiya  Soviet Union Self-propelled artillery 108[10]
2S5 Giatsint-S  Soviet Union Self-propelled artillery 116[10]
2S9 Nona  Soviet Union Self propelled mortar 48[10]
2S19 Msta  Soviet Union Self-propelled artillery 12[10]
122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30)  Soviet Union 122mm towed howitzer 48[10]
152 mm howitzer 2A65  Soviet Union 152 mm towed howitzer 48[10]
152 mm gun 2A36  Soviet Union 152 mm towed howitzer 132[10]
Air defence
2K22 Tunguska (SA-19 Grison)  Soviet Union Tracked SPAAW -
9K33 Osa (SA-8 Gecko)  Soviet Union 6×6 amphibious SAM system 24 batteries
9K35 Strela-10  Soviet Union Vehicle-mounted SAM system 350
Tor missile system  Russia Tracked SAM system 20 Tor-M2s 4 Tor-M2s ordered[22][23][24]
S-300PS (SA-10 Grumble)
S-300V (SA-12 Giant/Gladiator)
 Soviet Union
 Russia		 Long-range SAM system 12
12		 S-300PS systems delivered from Russia in 2007 to replace older S-300 model in Belarusian inventory.[25] Four divisions of S-300 missiles to be delivered in 2014.[26]
9K37 Buk (SA-11 Gadfly)  Soviet Union
Medium range SAM system 12
S-400 missile system  Russia Long-range mobile surface-to-air missile system 2 batteries Announced their intentions to purchase the S-400 in September 2011.[27] 2 systems were delivered in 2016.[28][29][30]

References
  1. "Справки по отдельным бригадам Вооруженных Сил Республики Беларусь". www.soldat.ru.
  2. Pike, John. "Ground Forces - Belarus". www.globalsecurity.org.
  3. 'Commander outlines reform of Belarusian Ground Forces,' Zvyazda, Minsk, in Belarusian, 2 October 2002, p.2, via Lexis-Nexis.
  4. Юбилей прославленного объединения [The Anniversary of the Famous Association]. www.mil.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 February 2016. Retrieved 2016-02-25.
  5. https://www.mil.by/ru/forces/special/
  6. https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/belarus/us.htm
  7. http://belpost.by/eng/stamps/stamp-catalogue/2019-chrono-eng/37-2019-10-08-eng/
  8. https://www.mil.by/ru/forces/special/rhbz/
  9. IISS Military Balance 2018, 185.
  10. International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (9 February 2016). "The Military Balance 2016". The Military Balance. 116: 181–183. doi:10.1080/04597222.2016.1127558.
  11. "Belarus introduces first T-72B3M in its army 80606171 | June 2017 Global Defense Security news industry | Defense Security global news industry army 2017 | Archive News year". Archived from the original on 2018-08-24. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
  12. "More T-72B3 tanks for Belarus | November 2018 Global Defense Security army news industry | Defense Security global news industry army 2018 | Archive News year". Archived from the original on 2018-11-24. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  13. http://www.armstrade.org/includes/periodics/news/2019/0626/162053076/detail.shtml
  14. https://www.mil.by/en/news/88455/
  15. https://www.janes.com/article/89691/belarus-signs-contract-with-russia-for-additional-t-72b3s
  16. A Brief Guide to Russian Armored Fighting Vehicles
  17. Belarus Army Equipment. Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved on 28 June 2019.
  18. IISS Military Balance 2018, 185.
  19. https://tass.com/defense/1193245
  20. https://www.janes.com/article/88694/milex-2019-belarus-upgrades-mid-range-mrl-inventory
  21. Military Balance 2016, p. 101
  22. "Third battery of Tor-M2 air defense missile system enters in service with the Belarus army". January 4, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-01-10. Retrieved 2014-01-10.
  23. "Belarus and Russia sign contract on battery of Tor-M2 air defense missile systems". Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
  24. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-11-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  25. "Russia completes S-300PS deliveries to Belarus". articles.janes.com. 14 June 2006. Archived from the original on 2012-05-03. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  26. Russia will deliver four divisions of S-300 ground-to-air defense missile systems to Belarus Archived 2018-03-16 at the Wayback Machine - Armyrecognition.com, 24 April 2013
  27. "Kazakhstan to get first S-400 air defense systems after 2015". En.tengrinews.kz. 2013-03-15. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  28. "Россия поставила Белоруссии две зенитных ракетных системы С-400". rns.online. 28 June 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-08-22. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  29. Денис Тельманов. "ПВО России и Белоруссии получит С-400 и цифровое управление". Известия. Archived from the original on 2017-03-20. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  30. "Россия установит в Белоруссии ракетные системы С-400 "Триумф"". KM.RU Новости – новости дня, новости России, последние новости и комментарии. Archived from the original on 2018-08-22. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
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