06 February 2026, 11:08

Pantus: Belarus may soon deploy domestic anti-drone air defense system

MINSK, 6 February (BelTA) – Belarus may soon produce a domestic anti-aircraft missile-gun system for combating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Chairman of the State Authority for Military Industry Dmitry Pantus said before the start of a board meeting of the agency in Minsk on 6 February, BelTA has learned.

“In the very near future, Belarus will adopt another program for the development of missile systems; it should be approved literally in the first quarter. Many new systems are planned there. Of course, I cannot speak about all of them. I will note that we are actively working on creating a short-range anti-aircraft missile system. We are working on ammunition for grenade launchers of various types. It is quite possible that in the very near future a domestic anti-aircraft missile-gun system for combating unmanned aerial vehicles will also be produced,” said Dmitry Pantus.

Another promising avenue is the development of electronic warfare systems. “Historically, we have occupied a very significant niche in the field of electronic warfare systems. Our electronic warfare systems are performing exceptionally well in real-world deployments, across a range of military conflicts. This field is currently developing very dynamically. The largest number of systems adopted into service are precisely modern electronic warfare assets, ranging from the individual protection of our soldiers to integrated stations,” the Chairman of the State Authority for Military Industry said.

In developing various projects, the State Authority for Military Industry pays considerable attention to protecting personnel. “Today, armoring all vehicles is a major trend. We are currently working on creating a domestic armored steel in collaboration with the Industry Ministry. This is a serious matter. Work in this direction is carried out on an ongoing basis,” Dmitry Pantus emphasized.

He noted that approximately 150 to 160 research and development (R&D) projects are carried out in parallel each year by the State Authority for Military Industry and the defense sector of the economy. “I will note that the success rate for completing these R&D projects is about 60% annually. Since 2020, 76 developments have been accepted into service. In 2026, this work will actively continue. Especially since an indicator for increasing the number of R&D projects in the defense sector is also outlined in the decisions of the Belarusian People’s Congress,” the chairman of the State Authority for Military Industry emphasized.

Dmitry Pantus noted that defense industry experts have expanded their expertise into many new areas over the years. “Work is ongoing in all areas to develop competencies and acquire the necessary technologies. Last year, we seriously reviewed our relationship with the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus following a corresponding meeting and planned our joint work until 2030, including on the adoption of new technologies used in the development and production of military-purpose products,” he said.

The chairman of the State Authority for Military Industry noted that, given the geopolitical situation, the department is working closely with Russia and China. “We are placing special emphasis on training our specialists and designers in aircraft manufacturing, missile systems, and other fields at universities in the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China,” Dmitry Pantus added.

The board meeting of the State Authority for Military Industry is set to review the performance of the agency and the organizations within its system in 2025 and the previous five-year period as a whole, and will also define tasks for 2026.