An archive photo
MINSK, 1 February (BelTA) – There is no need to rush into building drone production facilities, Chairman of the State Authority for Military Industry of Belarus Dmitry Pantus said on the air of the Belarus 1 TV channel, BelTA has learned.
“This issue has already been discussed numerous times with the head of state. Together with the Defense Ministry and the government, we are trying to find a balance in this matter. There should be no sense of panic,” Dmitry Pantus emphasized.
According to him, when organizing drone production, financial capacities and the needs of the state must be taken into account. “There is no need to rush into building these facilities. If necessary, in a threatened period, production will certainly be expanded,” he added.
At a January meeting to discuss the establishment of an educational center for training personnel in advanced fields, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed to the trend that many have recently become obsessed with: the development of drones.
“Entire plants and factories are churning them out. And not only Ukrainians and Russians, who are using them for warfare today. Their use has proved quite effective. But also in Belarus and further north, they are being produced from morning till night,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
Nevertheless, the Belarusian leader posed the following question: Will unmanned aerial vehicles truly be such a significant advantage for Belarus in military operations? “Will they really help us that much in forested and swampy terrain? Especially in wooded areas. In a steppe or desert everything is in plain sight: you launch a 'bird' [UAV] and locate the target. Nothing obstructs the attack. But how does it work in a forest? Again, these are just my thoughts,” he emphasized.
In this context, the President recalled that he is currently conducting an inspection of the Armed Forces. “It will continue under these serious conditions until spring,” he said.
The head of state expressed confidence that traditional weapons (pistols, rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers) and the ordinary soldier remain indispensable. “That is why I pay significant attention to the development of traditional artillery with these 152 mm shells and Grads. Do you know what a Grad is? A forty-barrel system that we produce ourselves, along with the ammunition for it. Without this, it is also very difficult to manage in the special military operation, I know this for certain,” he assured.
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