Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MINSK278
2006-03-16 11:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Minsk
Cable title:  

Belarus Buying Indian SU-30s

Tags:  PARM PREL MNUC ETTC BO 
pdf how-to read a cable
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RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//USDP/RUE//
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 000278 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/16
TAGS: PARM PREL MNUC ETTC BO
SUBJECT: Belarus Buying Indian SU-30s

Ref: IIR 6 937 0078 05

Classified by Ambassador George Krol for Reasons 1.4 (B,D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 000278

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/16
TAGS: PARM PREL MNUC ETTC BO
SUBJECT: Belarus Buying Indian SU-30s

Ref: IIR 6 937 0078 05

Classified by Ambassador George Krol for Reasons 1.4 (B,D)


1. (SBU) In February a number of Indian and Russian press
sources announced that Belarus was intending to buy 18 used
Sukhoi SU-30 aircraft from India. According to these press
reports, India acquired a number of SU-30K fighters in
1997-1998, but is now modernizing its air force. Belarus
therefore intends to purchase 18 of these fighters and
upgrade them inside Belarus to SU-30KN's, largely as a
counter to Poland's recent purchase of F-16s. According to
Indian journal India Defence, the GOB is paying USD 300
million for this deal, just under USD 17 million per
aircraft. Russian paper Vedomosti reported that Russian
firm Russkaya Avionika, a subsidiary of SU-30 manufacturer
Irkut, would assist the GOB in modernizing the planes.


Belarus Plans to Buy SU-30s; But are These only Rumors?
-------------- Q*rRo"krcraft and will not acquire SU-QQQHQ#}Belarusian Security Council's
2006-2015 rearmament plan did not allocate funds for such
aircraft, even though in December Levitsky told the press
the GOB would eventually buy SU-30s.


3. (SBU) However, in June 2005 while speaking to the staff
of the 927th Fighter Base in Beryoza (upset about their
redeployment to a new base, reftel),President Lukashenko
attempted to mollify the airmen by promising that new
aircraft would soon join Belarus' inventory. Lukashenko
stated, "We are considering very attractive offers for
purchasing SU-30 planes for our armed forces." On February
24, Lukashenko told students at the Suvorov Military
Academy that Belarus was modernizing and re-equipping its
air defense network. He stated, "We will invest and have
already started investing big money there; we will reequip
it." Lukashenko also admitted that Belarus might soon buy
SU-30K fighters, "But this is not the most important for
us, the air defense system is very important to us."


4. (SBU) Speaking extemporaneously before the Third All
Belarusian People's Congress on March 3, Lukashenko
addressed rumors of massive Belarusian arms sales and
explained how the Belarusian military acquires new
equipment, outside the normal budget. Lukashenko told
delegates that Belarus inherited large stockpiles of
Soviet-era weaponry, which it has been selling since
independence. He claimed that 50% of the proceeds of such
sales go to the military for modernization and the other
50% are used to fund grandiose social projects, such as
hockey arenas and the National Library.


Indian Embassy Claims to Know Nothing
--------------


5. (C) On March 6, Poloff met with Tarsem Singh, First
Secretary and Pol/Econ officer at the Indian Embassy in

SIPDIS
Minsk. Singh claimed to know nothing at all about any
aircraft sales, and dismissed the press reports as untrue.
Singh claimed there is little bilateral trade between
Belarus and India, and much of that is Indian imports of
potash fertilizer. [Note: According to GOB statistics,
Belarus' bilateral trade with India reached USD 172 million
in the first nine months of 2005, USD 137 million in
Belarusian exports and USD 35 million in imports.] Singh
added that, "Only one Belarusian compan)Q>C5F5`'t, war
material, missiles and ammunition." They sell and repair
all types of Soviet-bloc military equipment.]

Belarus Supplies Pumps for Indian Nuclear Power Plants
-------------- --------------


6. (SBU) Separately, according to Belarusian press, in
August a spokesman for the Bobruisk Mechanical Engineering
Plant announced his company was supplying eight rotary
pumps for an Indian nuclear power plant. His company had
already shipped four of the pumps to Russia's Kaluga
Turbine Plant, where they would be installed in turbines
before being shipped to India. According to this
spokesman, his company was expected to sell USD 300,000
worth of pumps to India in 2005, and also sold pumps
(although not necessarily for nuclear plants) to Russia,
Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moldova, the Baltic States, Bulgaria
and Greece.


Comment
--------------


7. (C) The news stories on Indian SU-30 sales to Belarus,
along with Lukashenko's quasi-acknowledgement, are
sufficiently detailed as to be credible. While it is
possible the Indian Emassyis nt awae of this deal (the
Indian Embassy does not havea Defense Attache for
instance),Singh's denials id not seem trustworthy. The
GOB is likely makig this purchase, and is funding it
through non-bdgetary means, such as arms sales. The
questionremains whether the GOB can afford to maintain and
fly such aircraft, or if it intends to modernize hem
before selling to a third country.


KROL