RSS Feed
July 7th, 2016 
Awake Goy 
nsnbc : The Polonez multiple rocket launch system (MRLS) will enter service in the Belarusian Armed Forces in July. The Belarussian made system will replace older Uragan and Smerch systems. The Polonez system will both be a solely national project and a project that will be part of the joint Belarussian – Russian defense cooperation.
The head of the missile forces and artillery department of the General Staff, Gennady Kozlovsky, informed the press that the Polonez MRLS will be deployed this month. Kozlovsky added that the process of handing system to the Armed Forces is underway.
The Polonez is being finalized in line with the customer’s needs and the Armed Forces will accept the system for service on 17 July,” he said. MRLS Polonez is designed to deliver strikes against enemy personnel in the open and in shelters as well as unarmored and armored fighting vehicles and special vehicles, artillery units, missile systems and air defense missile systems, aircraft at airfields. MRLS Polonez can deliver strikes as far as 50-200km with a high degree of precision.
For surface to air missiles Belarus largely relies on Russian-made S-300 and S-400 systems while the country, due to its defense cooperation with Russia, also will be protected by the new Russian S-500 systems.
The latter has according to defense analysts the capacity to also intercept and destroy incoming ballistic missiles, including ICBMs. The Polonez is, however, entirely a Belarussian project and for the attack of targets on the ground.
That said, several defense analysts noted that it is probable that the Polonez was either developed in cooperation with, or based on the Chinese A200 Artillery Rocket System rather than latest Russian designs. Belarus has had some Chinese A200 in its arsenal for some time.
Belarus is, as far as nsnbc was informed, interested in boosting the country’s defense sector and economy by also exporting the Polonez MRLS. Several African nations should as far as nsnbc heard be potential clients. The Polonez MRLS features two pods with four 300-mm rockets. The system is believed to be compatible with the Chinese A200 system and its rockets.
The Armed Forces of Belarus include, according to 2016 figures, 37 fighter interceptors, 105 fixed-wing attack aircraft, 34 transport aircraft, 57 helicopters including 22 attack helicopters. Other military hardware includes 1,665 tanks, 2,321 armored fighting vehicles, 290 pieces of towed artillery, and 123 multiple rocket launcher systems.
The number of MRLSs is likely to increase as the Polonez is being deployed and while the older Uragan and Smerch systems are faded out. No data about the number of Polonez systems that will be deployed have yet been published.
CH/L – nsnbc 07.07.2016
Source Article from http://nsnbc.me/2016/07/07/belarus-beefs-up-military-with-polonez-missile-systems/
Posted in 
Tags: 
