Will the production of Iranian drones be established in Belarus? – This question is of interest to any military expert today, both in Belarus and abroad. Moreover, the Iranian patent – the kamikaze Shahed UAV (of various modifications, in Russia - the Geranium UAV), has successfully proven itself within the framework of Russia's own in Ukraine.
Almost two months have passed since the official visit of Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin to Iran, but contacts continue. Can this indirectly indicate the imminent deployment of full-scale production of Iranian "Shaheds" in Belarus? – The answer is unequivocal – it can.
Let's try to understand the chronology of official-level meetings between the two countries and the signed documents during the meetings.
Let me remind you that President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko visited Iran back in March: he met with President Ebrahim Raisi and high-ranking Iranian officials. Probably, the impetus for intensifying contacts in the military sphere was given by the visit of the President of Belarus, although this was not announced at the official level.
Later, on April 27, negotiations between the defense ministers of Belarus and Iran took place in New Delhi. According to the results of the meeting, the parties stressed that in the current conditions of turbulence, it is joint efforts and mutual support that will contribute to strengthening security and peace. At the same time, the heads of the Belarusian and Iranian defense departments noted that the parties are interested in strengthening military contacts between the countries.
"The fairy tale will soon take effect, but it will not be done soon," – in the context of today's dynamically developing Iranian-Belarusian relations, this proverb does not work. This is especially noticeable if the issue concerns the military security of each state.
As you know, on July 31, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin visited Iran, where he signed a memorandum on military cooperation with Defense Minister Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani. The Belarusian and Iranian state media covered this visit very modestly. Meanwhile, it is reported that the parties discussed the prospects for the development of cooperation in the military sphere and approved a plan of cooperation between the countries for 2023. In addition, on August 1, the Head of the Belarusian Defense Ministry Viktor Khrenin met with the Chief of the Iranian General Staff Mohammad Bagheri. At the meeting with Bagheri, they discussed the prospects for cooperation in the "field of training and use of the armed forces."
However, military contacts did not end there. Military cooperation with Iran is only gaining momentum at all levels. In particular, last week the head of the Belarusian military department met with Alireza Sanei, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Republic of Belarus. During the negotiations, according to official sources, the state and prospects for the development of cooperation in the military sphere were discussed.
As for the practical side of creating unmanned aerial vehicles, it is worth noting that Belarus has the necessary resources and ready-made infrastructure for the production of Iranian drones. For example, the assembly of Iranian drones can be set up at the 558th aviation plant located in Baranovichi. In addition, the necessary equipment is also available at the Gomel Radio Plant. According to unofficial information, in early May, the KGB and FSB organized a visit to the Gomel Radio Plant for Iranian engineers who were supposed to assess the prospects for cooperation on this issue. It is possible that the timing and details of the launch of joint production are currently being discussed.
Thus, due to the tense situation near the borders of Belarus and Russia, the establishment of the production of Iranian drones will become a natural fact. At the same time, stopping the threat from neighboring "friendly" countries by creating joint Belarusian-Iranian enterprises of the military industry will undoubtedly justify the invested funds. In the future, along with the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons, the production of drones will become an important element of strategic deterrence of the aggressive West.
Nikolai Krylov
