Combat readiness inspection ordered by president underway in Air Force, Air Defense Forces

MINSK, 9 March (BelTA) – The inspection of the Armed Forces, ordered by the Belarusian president, continues in the Air Force and Air Defense Forces, State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus Aleksandr Volfovich told journalists, BelTA reports.

“The combat readiness inspection of the Armed Forces, directed by the president of the Republic of Belarus, is ongoing. The commander-in-chief of our country has defined the main objective for the Armed Forces this year as maintaining the established level of combat readiness of troops, a high level of training, and the coherence of troop command and control bodies in the performance of assigned tasks. This is particularly relevant for the branch of the Armed Forces we will be inspecting – the Air Force and Air Defense Forces – because even in peacetime, they perform combat missions to protect the airspace and borders of our country, and more broadly, the borders of the Union State and the Western strategic direction within the CSTO. Therefore, the responsibility of this branch of the Armed Forces is truly very high. We must be confident that the Air Force and Air Defense Forces are capable of countering modern challenges and threats,” said Aleksandr Volfovich.

The commander of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces has been presented with a directive from the president to enhance the country’s air defense system as part of the inspection. “The inspection will evaluate the capability and readiness of this branch of the military to strengthen air defense alert forces and assets, its ability to counter enemy air attacks in a training environment, and its execution of tasks involving aviation support for troops. In the near future, the commander will name priority tasks and set the time for announcing decisions. The majority of military units, primarily those comprising the immediate response force, will move to designated areas, where they will begin simulated combat duty. Issues related to the relocation of aircraft to various operational and alternate airfields, as well as other matters, will also be practiced,” noted the state secretary of the Security Council.

He also pointed out that this branch of the Armed Forces will carry out inspection tasks under conditions involving the actions of sabotage and reconnaissance groups of a simulated enemy. “Because these facilities and military units would become primary targets for an enemy. We will see how comprehensively support issues, including security and direct guarding, are handled,” emphasized Aleksandr Volfovich.

He noted that the ongoing geopolitical restructuring of the world indicates that the protection of airspace and air borders is also a factor of strategic deterrence. “Without ensuring security in the air, without protecting the country from enemy air attacks, what kind of security or sustainable economic development can we speak of? Current events in the Middle East clearly demonstrate this,” he said.

Aleksandr Volfovich added that upon the completion of the inspection activities, an analysis will be conducted, and the commander-in-chief has tasked him with providing daily updates on the inspection’s progress.

“Aviation, surface-to-air missile troops, and radio-technical troops will be involved in this inspection. Our branch of the Armed Forces carries out daily combat duty for air defense. Therefore, I believe no problematic issues will arise during this inspection,” noted the Commander of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces of the Armed Forces, Andrei Lukyanovich.

As reported by BelTA, a large-scale inspection of the Armed Forces, as directed by the president of Belarus, began on 16 January. The primary goal of the inspection is to see an objective picture, assess the actual state of the troops, and evaluate the performance of military personnel. This is precisely why it is conducted on a surprise basis. A key feature of the inspection is its organization: the head of state places military units on combat alert, bypassing the Defense Ministry and the General Staff.

Photos by Sergei Sheleg