SAMI Discusses the Preparation of the Main Planning Documents for the Medium-Term Development of SAMI and Defence Industry

The meeting of the board of State Authority for Military Industry (SAMI) analysed the current state of work on the preparation of the main planning documents for the development of SAMI and the defence industry for the medium term.

Igor Demidenko, First Deputy Minister of State Authority for Military Industry, spoke on this issue.

He noted that today SAMI is at the final stage of its next development cycle. The activities stipulated in the new edition of the SAMI and Defence Industry Development Programme for 2021–2025 are nearing completion. The task is to complete the implementation of the programme qualitatively and fully, as well as to begin planning the development of SAMI and the defence industry, creating conditions for companies’ effective performance and for increasing their capabilities to produce advanced weapons and military equipment and promote them to foreign and domestic markets.

According to Igor Demidenko, certain areas and development objectives have lost their relevance and require revision, adjustment or complete exclusion.

Documents were identified that define a coherent target-oriented model of the development of SAMI and the defence industry. These documents are the Concept of the Military-Technical Policy (for the period up to 2030), the State Armaments Programme for 2021–2025, and the SAMI and Defence Industry Development Programme for 2021–2025. They must be interconnected.

Attention was focused on developing the right way to build a methodology when planning these documents; to exclude traditional stereotypes and competencies when forming activities that allow the transition to a new development level.

Among the priorities is the preparation of proposals for the setting up of an interdepartmental working group for the qualitative development of  the draft Concept of the Military-Technical Policy of the Republic of Belarus until 2030 (hereinafter referred to as the Concept). The group will include not only the employees of SAMI’s central office, SAMI-supervised companies, and defence enterprises with relevant expertise, but also specialists from concerned ministries and departments. It is also necessary to develop a plan of priority measures to draw up the SAMI and Defence Industry Development Programme for 2021–2025.

Based on the analysis of global trends in arms development, evaluation of the scientific, technical, industrial, technological and personnel potential of SAMI companies and defence enterprises, it is planned to clarify the main goals, objectives, directions and priorities of the Belarusian military-technical policy, arms development and military-technical cooperation, which will be reflected in the Concept and other planning documents for the coming years.

Simultaneously with the development of the Concept, work will be organised on the development of a draft armament programme for the forecast period – a planned medium-term legal act providing coordination on the list, timing and funding of measures aimed at developing weapons and maintaining military and special equipment in service with the Belarusian Armed Forces, other troops, military formations and paramilitary organisations in a state of combat readiness.

The SAMI and Defence Industry Development Programme for 2021–2025 will also be prepared on the basis of the Concept.

The programme will take into account the basic provisions of the State Armament Programme for the forecast period, as well as conceptual and programme documents in force in Belarus in the areas of the country’s socio-economic development and development of the Armed Forces and the country’s military establishment.

Roman Golovchenko, Minister of State Authority for Military Industry, will be responsible for the general management of the preparation of the main planning documents of the SAMI and Defence Industry Development Programme for 2021–2025.