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Special Forces

Special Forces are designed to support the combat activities of the Ground Forces and to solve their inherent tasks. They include formations and military units of intelligence, communications, engineering, radiation, chemical and biological protection, electronic warfare, navigation and topographic.

The emergence and development of electronic warfare (EW) is inextricably linked with the history of the development of radio electronic means (RES) and their introduction into the field of warfare. Electronic warfare is considered a relatively young direction in military affairs. At the same time, the idea and the first cases of radio reconnaissance and the creation of radio interference date back to the time when radio began to be used in military affairs.

By the end of the 90s, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus included three electronic warfare units: 10 separate electronic warfare center, 228 separate electronic warfare center, 387 CPC node. But the increasing role of information systems in command and control of troops and weapons dictated an increase in the impact on communication channels by means of electronic warfare at all levels of command and control of troops and weapons. In the period from 2007 to 2009, three new military electronic warfare units were formed - 48 about REB-N, 15 about REB-S and 16 about REB-S. In 2012, through the merger of 15 and 16 separate electronic warfare battalions of the operational-tactical commands, a 16 separate electronic warfare regiment (with aircraft) of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces was formed.

At present, the electronic warfare system of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus complies with the requirements for electronic suppression of electronic means of reconnaissance and command and control of troops and weapons. Equipping with new electronic warfare equipment continues, new forms and methods of using electronic warfare forces and means are being introduced, new units are being created in accordance with the emerging threats to the national security of the Republic of Belarus in the military sphere. The personnel of the electronic warfare units continues the glorious traditions of maintaining high combat readiness and military discipline, laid down by the front-line soldiers in the initial period of the development of the electronic warfare system.

The Communications Directorate is a structural subdivision of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, designed to control the system and communications troops (hereinafter - communications control) in the Armed Forces and territorial troops of the Republic of Belarus, as well as the contentment body of the Armed Forces for ground communications technology, ground equipment for jamming radio communications and radio navigation, computer and copying and duplicating equipment, automation systems, communications and combat control, radio intelligence and special radio communications. Signal troops are independent special forces, are part of the military organization of the state and act as a means of providing its armed protection.

The history of the formation and development of the signal troops of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus is closely connected with the Russian and Soviet armies. The history of the signal troops dates back to the formation of the first military signal units of the Russian army and navy during the Crimean War of 1853-1856, when telegraph communications were first used to control troops. Over the past post-war years, with the transition of troops to a peaceful position by the signal troops of the Belarusian Military District, and subsequently the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, measures were taken to restore and develop a stationary communication system, deploy communication systems for garrisons and military camps, and organize combat training of troops in peaceful conditions.

The years of peaceful life of the Republic of Belarus made it possible to create a successful national economy, increase the well-being of the people, raise several generations of citizens who have not experienced the horrors of war. But the transition to an independent state was not easy, including for the Armed Forces. As part of the development of the National Satellite Communication and Broadcasting System, along with the already used Belintersat-1 satellite communication stations, work is underway to develop a line of Voskhod satellite communication stations. Prototypes were successfully tested during the special operational exercise of the Signal Corps in July, and the stationary and mobile versions of these stations were also tested during the Union Shield 2019 exercise.

The engineering troops have traveled a long and glorious path of serving the Fatherland. The first engineering school, which trained military engineers for the Russian army, was established by decree of Peter I of January 21, 1701. The most important step towards the revival of centuries-old traditions, recognition of the military merits of all generations of military engineers from the times of Peter the Great to the present day was the establishment by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 157 of March 26, 1998, a professional holiday - the Day of Engineering Troops. There was not a single battle in which engineering troops did not participate. They faithfully served Russia in the Battle of Poltava and during the capture of the impregnable fortress of Izmail, on the Borodino field and during the defense of Sevastopol in the Crimean War of 1853-1856, near Port Arthur and on the fields of the First World War.

A special page in the history of the engineering troops of the Soviet Army is the Afghan war. The enemy very quickly appreciated that in the conditions of the overwhelming superiority of the Russians in aviation, artillery, armored vehicles, almost the only way to deprive Soviet troops of the opportunity to use their advantages was a mine war.

Permitting troops to use mines to protect checkpoints, blocking the paths of dushman caravans, installing minefields by remote means on the paths of bandit formations, quickly led to a significant decrease in their activity. In the course of the war, the engineering troops, in addition to mine and anti-mine warfare, solved the problems of rebuilding roads and bridges, extracting and purifying water, operational and tactical camouflage. However, the indecision of the then leadership of the country, the half-heartedness of the measures taken, attempts to save money and money by overstretching the forces of the troops did not allow to fully solve, including the tasks of engineering support of the battle (operation).

The last engineering support task that sappers had to solve in Afghanistan was to ensure the withdrawal of troops from their positions and to ensure the march through the Salang pass to the territory of the USSR. Despite the promises of the dushmans "to arrange a bloodbath for the Russians," they did not dare to approach the Soviet columns, all approaches to the main routes of movement of Soviet troops were so tightly covered with mine barriers.

The Directorate for NBC Protection and Ecology of the General Staff of the Armed Forces is a structural subdivision of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and a contentment body, which is intended for planning and organizing NBC protection of the Armed Forces and territorial troops, command and control of NBC protection troops, ensuring radiation safety and monitoring the implementation of measures for environmental safety in the Armed Forces and provision of weapons and means of NBC protection.

For about ten years, warriors-chemists fought as part of a limited contingent of Soviet troops on the ground in Afghanistan, where such tasks of chemical support as the use of flamethrower-incendiary means and aerosols turned out to be effective. Many representatives of the chemical troops - participants in the war were awarded military orders and medals.

In the course of eliminating the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, taking into account the professional training and technical equipment of the chemical troops, they were entrusted with the most responsible, dangerous and difficult work. The great contribution of the chemical troops to the elimination of the consequences of the accident is highly appreciated by the government. Many generals, officers, warrant officers, sergeants and soldiers have been awarded high government awards for courage and selfless work.

The Chemical Troops Department was created on June 1, 1992 on the basis of the disbanded administration of the Belarusian Military District and included in the General Staff of the Armed Forces. On December 21, 2001, in connection with the creation of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, the chemical troops department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces was reorganized and included in its structure as the department of NBC protection and ecology of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. Renaming became an objective necessity, caused by a change in both the volume of tasks performed and the quantitative and qualitative composition of the troops.

The navigation and topographic management is a structural subdivision of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and is intended to organize topogeodetic and navigation support of the Armed Forces; The contentment body of the Armed Forces on the issues of their provision with means of topogeodetic support and navigation, topogeodetic information and navigation-time data.

1992 - on the basis of the KBVO topographic service, the topographic service of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus was created. 2001 - the topographic service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces was reorganized into the Department of topographic and geodetic support and ground navigation of the General Staff, and the topographic service of the Armed Forces - into the service of topographic and geodetic support and ground navigation of the Armed Forces.

2004 - the Directorate of Topographic and Geodetic Support and Ground Navigation of the General Staff of the Armed Forces was renamed into the Navigation and Topographic Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and the Service of Topographic and Geodetic Support and Ground Navigation of the Armed Forces was renamed into the Navigation and Topographic Service of the Armed Forces. 2014 - by order of the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Belarus dated March 6, 2014 No. 211, the date of the annual holiday of the navigation and topographic service of the Armed Forces was set - May 8.