BREST OBLAST, 21 October (BelTA) – It is necessary to more actively modernize the combat tanks the Belarusian army has. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko gave the relevant instructions as he visited the combined-arms military training area Obuz-Lesnovsky in Brest Oblast, BelTA has learned.
In addition to unmanned aerial vehicles the head of state examined other samples of weapons, military and special hardware in the training area. Those included optical-electronic equipment for guarding borders and infrastructure installations, laser and electromagnetic weapons, a robotized weapon system, combat and reconnaissance vehicles, a modernized armored personnel carrier, and a T-72BM2 tank fitted with anti-armor missile defenses.
Aleksandr Lukashenko asked crews of the vehicles about the performance and peculiarities of the hardware. “70 shots, 67 hits,” the military personnel responded.
“Do you need more up-to-date tanks from the point of view of modern war?” the head of state wondered.
“We are upgrading [Belarusian tanks] and they are as good as T-90,” Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin responded.
“So, we have to sort out our own tanks and things will be fine,” Aleksandr Lukashenko concluded. “If he says it is a good tank, we will bear it in mind as a reference model. Let's get these tanks up to snuff.”
At the same time the president wondered whether combat tanks should be used on a modern battlefield. “Drones and anti-drone warfare, radio warfare stations look more impressive to me than tanks,” he remarked.
“Only tanks can provide an active defense,” the defense minister stressed.
“So we need tanks? This is why we have to upgrade them. We have to secure more substantial modernization volumes,” the commander-in-chief formulated the task.
