The government of Belarus is pushing increased self-reliance in missile technology, the State Authority for Military Industries (SAMI) announced on 27 May.
The news followed on from a visit by president Aleksandr Lukashenko to the OKB TSP facility in Machulishchi near Minsk on 22 May, during which a number of missile systems and their role in the Belarusian defence industry were discussed.
The country has been working on assembling the Polonez-M missile system developed with China, Lukashenko was told, to which the president responded, “We need our own missile. If we have to rely on other countries to produce a certain weapon, we should not produce such a weapon. No one will simply give away such a weapon to us. We were lucky to strike a deal with the Chinese; we really appreciate their help. However, we should not depend on anyone anymore,” Belarus news agency BelTA reported.
The modernised 9K33 (SA-8 ‘Gecko’) variant of the Osa ground-to-air missile system developed by Belarus features a new transport-erector-launcher (TEL) vehicle, based on a MAZ-6317 truck chassis that is designated 9A33-2B.
Other work undertaken by the Belarus defence industry highlighted during Lukashenko’s visit included the extension of the range of the Polonez-M multiple launch rocket artillery system from 200 to 300 km, development of the Buk-MB3 surface-to-air missile system and its 9M318 missile, and the Belarus-developed truck-mounted variant of the 9K33 Osa (NATO reporting name SA-8 ‘Gecko’).
A prototype of an extended range Polonez-M missile system, which has a 300 km range, is expected to be ready in September. Testing is potentially taking place in China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, or Saudi Arabia, BelTA reported.
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