The new Belarus’s Polonez multiple rocket launcher has taken part in a Belarusian-Kazakh joint command and staff exercise for rocket and artillery forces which was held in the Sary-Shagan training area in Kazakhstan on 2-4 May 2018.

The Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus has conducted test-firing of its Polonez multiple rocket launcher, according to a 4 May statement by Vayar, the media wing of Belarus’s military.

In total, up to 100 units of equipment and over 200 personnel were engaged in the joint exercise.

Units using the tactical missile systems Tochka-U, multiple launch rocket systems Polonez, units of the 927th Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training and Applications Centre, the 85th and 86th signal brigades, the 1562nd Technical Rocket Base, the 31st Navigation and Topography Centre, engineer troops, and representatives of Armed Forces organisations are participating in the exercise.

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The main feature of the exercise is the improvement of the practical skills of commanding officers and staffs in the marching order, preparing for and carrying out rocket strikes in flat open ground together with rocket and artillery units of the Kazakh army.

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The Polonez is a new Belarus’s multiple launch rocket system. It was developed to replace older Soviet 220 mm Uragan and 300 mm Smerch artillery rocket systems and bases on Chinese A200 artillery rocket system. The Polonez MRLS can engage enemy personnel located in the open and in shelters, as well as unarmoured and armoured combat vehicles, special vehicles, command posts, artillery units, missile systems in addition to air defence missile systems and aircraft stationed at airfields.