Belarus's Base Unit: A Comprehensive Overview

Belarus uses a base amount or base value (commonly abbreviated as БВ or б. в.) to keep the amount of pensions, scholarships, social welfare payments, duties, taxes, and fines stable and relevant regardless of the inflation level. The base amount is a notional amount that is used to keep these values stable in the text of laws. This ensures that the values of these important financial aspects are not affected by inflation and remain consistent over time.

Military budget and spending

The base unit of currency in Belarus is the Belarusian ruble.

Now, onto the topic of military spending in Belarus. The country's military budget and spending reflect its defence priorities and strategic objectives. Here is an overview of Belarus's military budget and key areas of expenditure:

Military Budget:

Belarus's military budget for 2023 was approximately 1.403 billion US dollars, according to figures from Knoema. This amount represents a fluctuation from previous years but an overall increase during the 2004-2023 period. Belarus's military expenditure as a share of its GDP is not publicly available due to limited information about the inclusions in its military budget.

Military Spending Areas:

Belarus's military spending covers various areas, including personnel, equipment, and operational costs. Here are some key areas of expenditure:

• Personnel Costs: Belarus's armed forces consist of the Ground Forces and the Air Force and Air Defence Forces. In 2017, the IISS estimated that Belarus had 49,000 active-duty personnel and nearly 350,000 reserves. Most soldiers are conscripts serving for 18 months.
• Equipment and Arms: Belarus's military forces rely predominantly on Soviet-era equipment inherited from the Soviet Union. While they possess large numbers, some Western experts consider this equipment outdated. Belarus receives around 100 new and upgraded systems annually, including Russian-made T-72, T-62, and T-55 tanks, and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles.
• Defence Cooperation: Belarus has engaged in military cooperation with other countries, including sending military specialists to nations like Côte d'Ivoire, Venezuela, Libya, and Yemen. Additionally, Belarus has participated in joint military interventions, such as the CSTO intervention in Kazakhstan during the 2022 Kazakh unrest.
• Military Research and Development: Belarus invests in military research and development, although specific allocations for this area are not publicly available.
• Paramilitary Forces: Belarus maintains paramilitary forces, such as the Internal Troops, the Border Guard Service, and the Transport Troops, which support the regular armed forces and have their own equipment and personnel requirements.
• Military Infrastructure: Belarus incurs costs for military infrastructure, including bases, training facilities, and command centres.
• Military Aid: Belarus receives military aid from other countries, particularly Russia, with which it has a close partnership. Russia has supplied Belarus with advanced weapons systems, including S-400 air defence systems and Iskander tactical ballistic missiles.

In summary, Belarus's military budget and spending reflect a focus on maintaining a capable yet relatively small military force, with an emphasis on land and air capabilities. The country's defence priorities are influenced by its geopolitical position and historical ties to Russia, resulting in continued reliance on Soviet-era equipment and close military cooperation.

Military equipment and vehicles

The Armed Forces of Belarus consist of the Ground Forces and the Air Force and Air Defence Forces. As a landlocked country, Belarus has no navy, although it does have control over some small Soviet-inherited naval vessels in its rivers and lakes.

The Belarusian military is almost exclusively armed with Soviet-era equipment inherited from the Soviet Union. Although large in numbers, some Western experts consider this equipment outdated.

Infantry weapons

The following infantry weapons are used by the Armed Forces of Belarus:

• Semi-automatic pistols
• Selective fire machine pistols
• Pump-action and semi-automatic combat shotguns
• Standard service rifles
• Suppressed assault rifles
• Sniper rifles, including anti-materiel sniper rifles
• Semi-automatic designated marksman rifles
• Bolt-action sniper rifles
• General-purpose machine guns
• Squad automatic weapons
• Underslung grenade launchers
• Rocket-propelled grenade launchers

Armoured fighting vehicles

The Armed Forces of Belarus operate the following armoured fighting vehicles:

• Reconnaissance vehicles
• Armoured personnel carriers
• Infantry fighting vehicles
• Infantry mobility vehicles
• Engineering vehicles

Artillery

The following artillery systems are in service with the Belarusian military:

• Self-propelled howitzers
• Multiple rocket launchers
• Guided multiple rocket launchers
• Tactical ballistic missiles
• Self-propelled anti-tank missile systems
• Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns
• Self-propelled surface-to-air missile systems

Electronic warfare systems

The Belarusian Armed Forces employ the following electronic warfare systems:

• Electronic countermeasure systems
• Unmanned aerial vehicles

Military personnel and training

The Armed Forces of Belarus consist of the Ground Forces, the Air Force, and the Air Defence Forces, all under the command of the Ministry of Defence. As a landlocked country, Belarus does not have a navy, but the Belarusian military does control some small Soviet-inherited naval vessels in its rivers and lakes. The Belarusian military is made up of mostly former soldiers of the Soviet Army's Belorussian Military District. In 2017, the IISS estimated that personnel in the armed forces numbered 49,000, with nearly 350,000 reserves. The majority of soldiers are conscripts serving for a period of 18 months, although there is an alternative service option.

The Belarusian military still holds many Soviet military laws and maintains high numbers of reserve personnel as a high priority. In 2007, the Land Forces consisted of 29,600 soldiers, including six mechanised brigades, five artillery brigades, and various other units. The Air Force and Air Defence Force consisted of 18,170 personnel, with two fighter/interceptor bases, four FGA/reconnaissance squadrons, one transport air base, training aircraft, and attack and support helicopters, and SAM units.

In recent years, Belarus has been seeking to improve the readiness and interoperability of its military forces through joint exercises and training with Russian forces. Russia has also agreed to establish three permanent joint training centres, two in Russia and one in Grodno, Belarus, allowing for a more permanent Russian presence in the country.

The Belarusian military is almost exclusively armed with Soviet-era equipment inherited from the Soviet Union, although some Western experts consider this equipment outdated. The Belarusian armed forces receive around 100 brand-new and upgraded systems a year, according to the Belarusian Deputy Minister of Defence for Armament and Chief of Armament, Major General Sergei Simonenko.

The Special Forces of Belarus serve as an airmobile and strategic deterrence force and have participated in international conflicts such as the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and the Libyan Civil War in 2011. They have also sent military specialists to various countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, Venezuela, Libya, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Military cooperation and exercises

Belarus has been a military ally of Russia since 1994, when Alexander Lukashenko came to power. There are four institutional layers of military cooperation between the two countries, two multilateral and two bilateral. The multilateral cooperation takes place within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO). The bilateral cooperation takes place within the Union State of Russia and Belarus, established in 1999, and the Regional Grouping of Forces of Russia and Belarus, established in January 1998.

The CIS cooperation focuses on regulatory activities, field and combat training, and regular live-fire exercises held in Russia. The CSTO, established in 2002, has been slowly developing its institutional frameworks and crisis management capabilities. It has five different types of joint forces, one of which is the Russia-Belarus CSTO Eastern European Group of Forces. However, CSTO forces have never been deployed in a real-life combat operation due to a lack of unified political will and Russia's reluctance to deploy troops.

The Union State of Russia and Belarus has a well-developed defence policy component. Belarus has been the main beneficiary of this cooperation, as Russia has provided it with a viable security and defence guarantee. The military doctrine of Belarus, adopted in 2016, emphasises military cooperation with Russia and the joint defence of the Union State. Military cooperation within the Union State includes joint defence policy, harmonisation of joint military activities, joint use of military infrastructure, coordination in military construction, and coordinated border policy.

The Regional Grouping of Forces of Russia and Belarus is an army-sized, combined arms formation composed of the entirety of Belarus's armed forces, as well as various Russian units, including Russia's 1st Guards Tank Army. The two countries hold regular joint exercises, such as the Union Shield exercises, to practice various aspects of this scenario.

In addition to these institutional frameworks, Russia has two military installations on Belarusian territory, inherited from Soviet times: a navy communication transmission station in the town of Vileyka and a long-range radar station near Baranovichi. Russia operates both facilities officially on a lease basis, but free of charge.

In March 2021, Lukashenko agreed to the presence of a joint Belarusian-Russian military unit in Belarus: the Joint Air Defence and Air Force Training and Combat Centre in the Grodno region, which contains combat-capable Russian weapons, including at least two S-400 launchers.

Since 2020, joint military manoeuvres on Belarusian soil have increased significantly in number and scale. This includes the Zapad strategic exercises conducted in Russia's Western Military District, held quadrennially since 1999. Lukashenko has also declared that Russia and Belarus have "a single army" and that they would fight jointly in the event of a war.

In January 2022, Russia and Belarus announced major joint military drills in the framework of the Union State, named 'Union Resolve 2022'. The exercise was intended to practice repelling an external attack from the western and southern directions, implying Ukraine as a potential source of aggression. Russia moved several thousand soldiers to Belarus for the drills, constituting the largest-ever Russian deployment of troops and weaponry to the country.

Russia has used the territory and infrastructure of Belarus as a military platform for its war against Ukraine, launching a major offensive against Kyiv from south-east Belarus. Russian bombers depart from Belarusian airfields, and Russia is operating a Beriev A-50 airborne early warning and control (AEW-C) aircraft from Belarus to coordinate its air operations in Ukraine. Russian ground-to-ground missiles and artillery strikes have also been launched from Belarusian territory, with Belarusian armed forces providing full logistical and military medical support to the advancing Russian army.

Military bases and infrastructure

Military Bases:

Belarus has several military bases located across the country, including air bases and training centres. Some notable examples are:

• Baranovichi Air Base: This air base is located in Baranovichi and operates MiG-29 fighter jets.
• Bobrovichi Air Base: Another air base, located in Bobrovichi.
• Machulishchy Air Base: An air base situated in Machulishchy.
• Military Academy of Belarus: This academy, established in 1995, provides training for military officers in various specialties. It is based on two former military educational institutions.
• Gelenovo Military Reservation: A historic site that serves as a military base.
• 116th Guards Assault Air Base: Located in Lida, this air base operates Su-25 attack aircraft.
• 61st (Fighter) Air Base: Found in Baranovichi, this base is a merger of the 61st and 927th Air Bases, operating MiG-29 fighter jets.

Infrastructure and Equipment:

The Belarusian military primarily relies on Soviet-era equipment inherited from the Soviet Union. While the quantity is large, some Western experts consider portions of it outdated. Here are some key points about their infrastructure and equipment:

• Weapons and Vehicles: The Belarusian military uses Russian-made main battle tanks (MBTs) like the T-72, T-62, and T-55, as well as armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) such as the MT-LB, BMP-2, BMP-1, and BMD-1. They also possess anti-tank guided missiles, rocket-propelled grenades, and various types of rifles and shotguns.
• Air Force Equipment: The Air Force operates MiG-29 fighters, Su-25 attack aircraft, Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters, and older Mi-2 helicopters. They have also acquired S-300 anti-aircraft systems and signed contracts for additional fighters, helicopters, and air defence systems.
• Naval Vessels: Despite being landlocked, Belarus controls small Soviet-inherited naval vessels in its rivers and lakes.
• Training and Exercises: Belarus has established territorial defence units, similar to those in Ukraine, that consist of trained and ready reserves. These units undergo refresher training and exercises, including some conducted by Wagner.

Frequently asked questions