Armed Forces of Belarus
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| Armed Forces of Belarus | |
|---|---|
| Military manpower | |
| Military age | 18 years of age |
| Availability | males age 15-49: 2,520,644 (2005 est.) |
| Reaching military age annually | males: 85,202 (2005 est.) |
| Military expenditures | |
| Dollar figure | $420.5 million (2006) |
| Percent of GDP | 1.4% (FY2002 est.) |
The armed forces of Belarus consist of the Army and the Air Force, all under the command of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus. Colonel General Leonid Maltsev is currently the Minister of Defense. Being a landlocked country, Belarus has no navy.
The previous Belarusian National Republic of March 1918 to 1919 did not have time to create armed forces in its brief existence, although attempts to create a military have been documented.[1]
Unlike the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus has conducted effective military reforms within the last decade which have reshaped its armed forces as a relatively effective force for a small state in somewhat difficult economic conditions.[2]
Contents |
[edit] History
On September 20, 1991 the Supreme Soviet of Belarus passed resolution "On the formation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus" and on January 11, 1992 resolution "On the Armed Forces deployed in the territory of the Republic of Belarus." Practical steps followed the declarative resolutions. On March 18, 1992 the parliament passed resolution "On the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus" that bound the government "to start the formation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus as of March 20, 1992" and "to submit to the Supreme Soviet for approval the suggested structure of the Armed Forces, their size and order of their material and technical supplies".
On November 3, 1992, Belarus passed the law "On the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus" defining the status, structure and guiding principles of the Armed Forces.[3] After the introduction of presidency the law was amended twice: on September 4, 1996 and on November 9, 1999 but on the whole the law retains its initial contents.
[edit] History of Belarusian army
In 1268 Pope Clement IV issued a papal bull, which granted permission to King of Bohemia Ottokar II to resurrect Kingdom of Lithuania. In the same year King and soldiers from Bohemia, Austria, through Poland, arrived in Prussia and preparations for the assault on Belarus started, but due to the bad weather the campaign did not occur. After one year Svarn was removed from the throne by the pagan Trojden, the illustrious Prince of Kernavė. It was at this time thereabouts some referred to it as the Belarusian Empire and it was marked as such in some older map atlases, though whether it referred to itself as such isn't clear.
Trojden began to wage war with Halych-Volhynia in 1274-1276 and he emerged victorious, finally conquering Black Ruthenia. Trojden was also successful in fighting with the Livonian Order. In 1270 he won the Battle of Karuse, fought on ice near Saaremaa. In 1279 the Order attacked Belarusian lands and even reached Trojden's main seat in Kernavė, but on the way back they suffered a great defeat in the Battle of Aizkraukle. After the battle, Semigallians rebelled and acknowledged Belarusian superiority. Trojden waged several more campaigns but in 1282 he died.
There is uncertainty as to who were the Grand Princes of Belarus after Trojden' death. In 1285, chronicles mention Dowmont as Grand Prince. He attacked Tver and was severely wounded or even killed. The first Gediminid to rule Belarus was Butigeidis, who died in 1290 or 1292, and his brother and the King Pucuwerus rex Lethowie inherited the crown. Pukuwer was father of Witenes and Giedymin. He died in 1296, leaving the throne to Witenes.
Witenes was the first ruler from the Gediminids dynasty who ruled Belarus for considerably long time.[4] Witenes was mentioned as king and overlord of Belarus in 1296. Under his reign, the construction of castles network alongside Nemunas begun in end of the 13th century. Gradually this network of castles developed into the main outpost and defensive structures against the Teutonic Order.
Witenes' reign saw constant warfare with the surrounding lands, particularly with the Order, the Kingdom of Poland, and Ruthenian provinces. In 1295 an army led by Witenes plundered Polish lands. These attacks on Polish lands continued until 1306. At the 13th century the Kingdom of Poland existed only in the hearts and memories of various Polish noblemen as these years witnessed disintegration of the Kingdom. Witenes used this situation to his state needs and later on he supported Polish pretender to the Kingdom's throne. Witenes also intervened into Principality of Masovia affairs, as Prince of Masovia Boleslaw II has been married to Belarusian Princess Gaudemunda.
In the late 13th century conflict between Riga citizens and Teutonic Knights arose and Witenes offered aid to citizens of the city by sending a Belarusian garrison to them in 1298. The Belarusian garrison had duty to protect city from the Knights. Belarusians remained in the city until 1313.[5] Securing positions in Riga provided fordable situation to strengthen trade routes in the region and organize military campaigns towards the Teutonic Order and Ruthenian provinces. Between 1298 and 1313 Witenes arranged around eleven military campaigns into Pmuscovian lands controlled by the Order, inflicting a series of defeats to the foe.[6] Around 1307, Polotsk was annexed by military force.[7] The annexation of Polatsk led to securing important trade route which enabled consistent trade in the region and also increased Belarusian influence on remaining Ruthenian provinces.
Witenes arranged several more military raids into lands ruled by the Teutonic Order until 1315 and for the last time he went into contemporary writing sources at the end of 1315. Further faith of Witenes is unknown; nevertheless Grand Prince title passed to his brother Giedymin,[8] the sub-monarch reigning in Samogitia and probably in Troki while Witenes was still alive. As sovereign ruler Giedymin exchanged Troki seat to Wilno.[9][10]
The expansion reached its heights under Giedymin, who created a strong central government and established an empire, which later spread from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea. In 1320, most of the principalities of Western Ruthenia were either vassalized or annexed by Belarus. In 1321 Giedymin captured Kiev sending Stanislaw, the last Rurikid to ever rule Kiev, into exile. Giedymin also re-established the permanent capital of Belarus in Wilno, which was presumably moved from Troki in 1323.
Belarus was in an ideal position to inherit west and south part of Kievan Ruthenia. While almost every other state around it had been plundered or defeated by the Mongols, their hordes never reached as far north as Belarus and its territory was left untouched. The expansion of Belarus was also accelerated because of the weak control the Mongols had over the areas they had conquered. (Ruthenian principalities were never incorporated directly into the Golden Horde. Instead, they were always vassal states with a fair degree of independence.) The rise of Belarus occurred at the ideal time when they could expand while meeting very little resistance in the territories populated by East Slavs and only limited opposition from the Mongols.
The Belarusian state was not built only on military aggression. Its existence always depended on diplomacy just as much as on arms. Most, while not all, cities it annexed were never defeated in battle but agreed to be vassals of Belarus. Since most of them were already vassals of the Golden Horde or of Grand Prince of Moscow, such decision was not one of giving up independence but rather of exchanging one master for another. This can be seen in the case of Novgorod, which was often brought into the Belarusian sphere of influence and became an occasional dependency of Belarus.[11] Rather, Belarusian control was the result of internal frictions within the city, which attempted to escape submission to Muscovy. This method of building the state was, however, unstable. The change of internal politics within a city could pull it out of Belarusian control, as happened on a number of occasions with Novgorod and other Muscovian cities.
Belarus was Christianized in 1387. Christianization was led by Władysław II Jagiełło, who personally translated Christian prayers into the Belarusian language.[12] The state reached a peak under Witold, who reigned from 1392 to 1430. Witold was one of the most famous rulers of the Grand Principality of Litvania. He was the Grand Prince from 1401-1430, also the Prince of Hrodna (1370-1382) and the Prince of Lutsk (1387-1389). Witold was the son of Kiejstut, cousin of Władysław II Jagiełło, who became King of Poland in 1386, and grandfather of Vasili II of Muscovy. In 1410 Witold himself commanded the forces of the Grand Principality in the Battle of Grunwald (also called the Battle of Tannenberg or Žalgirio mūšis). The battle ended in a decisive Polish-Belarusian victory. Witold backed economic development of his state and introduced many reforms. Under his rule the Grand Principality of Litvania slowly became more centralized, as the governors loyal to Witold replaced local princes with dynastic ties to the throne. The governors were rich landowners who formed the basis for the Belarusian nobility. During Witold' rule Radziwill and Goštautas families started to gain influence.
[edit] Organization
Until 1992 the Belorussian Military District of the USSR comprised the 5th Guards Tank Army, the 7th tank army, the 28th army, the 120th Guards Motor Rifle Division, the 51st Guards aviation division, the 72nd Guards United Training Center and also logistical units and formations. In addition to these troops Belarus was the area of deployment for units subordinated directly to the USSR Defense Ministry and chief commanders of different Armed Forces services, namely the 103rd Guards air-borne division, the 38th Guards air-borne brigade, the 11th corps of the 2nd Separate Air Defense Army, the 28th aviation army and also units and formations of the Strategic Rocket Forces, Long Range Aviation, the Navy and special forces.
In May 1992 the Belorussian Military District was abolished, and on January 1, 1993 all service personnel on Belarussian soil were required to either take an oath of loyalty to Belarus, or leave. This oath however did not alleviate concerns regarding loyalty to Russia in time of crisis, especially since nearly 50% of all military personnel were ethnically Russian at the end of 1992.
Current personnel in the armed forces number 72,940 (IISS 2007), although a reduction to 60,000 is planned. Most soldiers are conscripts serving for a period 12 months (with higher education) or 18 month (without). The branches are as follows[13]:
- Army: 29,600 (6th Guards Mechanized Brigade (Grodno), 11th Guards Mechanized Brigade (Slonim) 120th Guards Mechanized Brigade (Minsk), two mobilization brigades (mech),[14] 5th Separate Spetznaz Brigade, five artillery brigades and four regiments, two MRL regiments, 15th, 29th, 115th, 120th and 302nd SAM Brigades, two SSM brigades, two brigades and one regiment of engineers, 8th NBC independent brigade, two signals brigades, 40th independent NBC battalion. Army equipment includes 1800 MBT, 2600 AFV/APC. The weapons and equipment storage bases include the 50th (Brest), 19th, 34th & 37th (former tank divisions), 3rd, and 28th (Baranovichi). Weapons storage bases that have been disbanded include the 29th, 30th, 193rd, and the storage base that used to be the 8th Guards Tank Division at Marina Gorka.
- Air Force and Air Defense Forces: 18,170 (two fighter/interceptor bases, four FGA/reconnaissance squadrons, one transport air base, training aircraft, and attack and support helicopters, SAM units). Air Force equipment included in 2004 260 FGA/training aircraft and 80 Attack Helicopters.
- Joint: 25,170 (Centrally controlled units (including 72nd Guards Unified Training Center?), MOD staff)
- Internal Troops Three independent brigades and seven independent battalions (consecutively numbered)
On 21 December 2001, a major reorganization of the Ground Forces produced two operational-territorial commands, formed from two former corps headquarters.[15] All Belarus air and ground forces are now grouped within these two commands, the Western Operational Command at Grodno, former from the previous 28th Army Corps, the former Soviet 28th Army, and the North Western Operational Command, the former 65th Army Corps, at Borisov.
In 1995 the Military Academy of Belarus was set up on the basis of two military educational institutions - the Minsk Air Defense and Rocket School of the Air Defense Forces and the Minsk Higher Military Command School. Its 10 departments train officers of 38 specialties for practically all arms of service. Also in 1995 it was given the status of a government institution of secondary special military education for young men.
Since about 2001, territorial defense forces, which as of 2002 number around 150,000, have been forming, organized into battalions, companies, and platoons spread across Belarus.[16]
[edit] Equipment
The military forces of Belarus are exclusively armed with Soviet-era equipment inherited from the Soviet Union. Although large in numbers some Western experts consider some of it outdated. The MBTs are of Russian type T-72, T-62, and T-55, and AFVs are of Russian type MT-LB, BMP-2, BMP-1, and the BMD-1, and Russian type trucks are the GAZ-66 and the KAMAZ-6560. The Air Force is equipped with MiG-23, MiG-25, MiG-29, Su-27 fighters, MiG-27, Su-17, Su-24, Su-25 bombers, as well as Mi-8, Mi-24, and the Polish built Mi-2 attack helicopters. In December 2005 Belarus bought 10 L-39 jet trainer aircraft from Ukraine, and plans were announced to buy 18 used Su-30K fighters. In 2006 four batteries ('divizions' in Russian terminology; about 6 systems each) of S-300 anti-aircraft systems were acquired from Russia to reinforce the united CIS air defense system (ru:Объединённая система ПВО СНГ)
[edit] Armored Ground Vehicles
MBTs
AFVs
Artillery
[edit] Military doctrine
The military goals of the armed forces of Belarus are to defend the interests of the Belarusian state. This however is at times ambiguous, and is made even more complex with the various agreements that have been recently signed with Russia. Membership in the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as the 1996 treaty on the Union of Russia and Belarus and the Treaty of the Formation of a Union State in 1999, has confirmed a close partnership with Russia. Much of the air defense system is integrated into the Russian defense network, and in 2006 the two nations signed an agreement on the creation of a unified air defense system.[17]
[edit] References
- ^ Selected Bibliography of works on the struggle for Belarusian Independence 1900-1921 in the Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library in London
- ^ Dr Steven J Main, The Belarusian Armed Forces: A Military-Political History 1991-2003, Conflict Studies Research Centre, RMA Sandhurst, 2003. This is the definitive work in English on the recent history of Belarus's armed forces.
- ^ Pavel Bykovsky & Alexander Vasilevich, Military Development and the Armed Forces of Belarus, Moscow Defence Brief, CAST, 2007
- ^ Belarus Ascending p.55
- ^ M. Jones. The New Cambridge Medieval History. Cambridge, p. 706
- ^ Belarus Ascending p.57
- ^ New Cambridge p.706
- ^ A. Nikžentaitis. Giedymin. Vilnius, 1989, p.23
- ^ Belarus Ascending p.72
- ^ Giedymin p.16
- ^ Glenn Hinson. The Church Triumphant: A History of Christianity Up to 1300. 1995, p.438
- ^ Jerzy Kloczowski. A History of Polish Christianity. Cambridge University Press, 2000. p.55
- ^ Routledge, IISS Military Balance 2007, p.158-159
- ^ One of the equipment storage bases is the 19th, the former 19th Guards Tank Division at Zaslonovo in the Lepiel region. On October 1, 2003 the base has strongly added in "weight". From other bases of storage of arms and techniques now we are distinguished favourably by new structure. Besides a battalion of protection, storage and service, motor-rifle and tank battalions were added. http://www8.brinkster.com/vad777/sng/belorussia%5Cbelorusia.htm
- ^ Main, 2003
- ^ Main, 2003
- ^ Russia, Belarus to sign agreement on joint air defense system, GlobalSecurity.org, 2006
[edit] External links
- Official Website of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus
- Belarus Air Force pictures
- Military exercise code-named "Union Shield 2006"
- wiki on Belarusian Air Force at Scramble.nl
