Propaganda decided to conceal what the military from China and Iran brought to Minsk.
XI International exhibition of arms and military machinery MILEX-2023 and X International scientific conference on military-technical cooperation in defense and security (MILEX.INOVATIONS 23) is held in Minsk from May 17 to May 20.
Judging by the information in the media and on the website of the exhibition, this year there is equipment and weapons not only made in Belarus or Russia, but also in Iran and China. However, as the Belarusian Hajun noticed, propagandists pay much less attention to weapons and equipment of Chinese and Iranian production, more precisely, they almost don’t show them. That is why the Belarusian Hajun decided to find out what Iranian and Chinese equipment is presented at this year’s arms exhibition.
Which companies from Iran and China are represented at MILEX-2023?
First, let’s take a look at the list of participants of this year’s exhibition, which is available on the official website of MILEX-2023. In addition to arms manufacturers from Belarus and Russia, there are also companies from other countries.
Chinese companies:
- BEIJING PHOTOELECTRIC SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY Co, Ltd — manufacturer of infrared optics and electronics;
- Changchun Boxin Photoelectric Co., Ltd. — supplier of optics and technical services for machine vision;
- Ansla Science Technology Co., Limited — manufacturer of clothing and metal products;
- CoBTec, Ltd — manufacturer of thermal imaging cameras, rangefinders and night vision devices for police, Ministry of Emergency, and UAVs;
- Huangshan Jiushi Technology Co., LTD — military external and internal tactical protective equipment;
- Shanghai Everay Electro-Optical Co., LTD — thermal camera modules, thermal night vision sights, thermal electro-optical surveillance systems, OGI cameras, etc.
- HANGZHOU OXMAN SOURCING CO., LTD. — manufacturer of military clothing;
- Zhejiang Qianxilong Special Fibre Co., Ltd — manufacturer of R&D high-molecular-weight polyethylene fibers for body armor;
- Shaoxing Oxman Business CO., LTD.
The Iranian companies are not listed on the website or in the company brochure, but nevertheless, they were present at the exhibition with a large number of equipment.
What did Iran show at MILEX-2023?
As mentioned above, although Iranian companies are not mentioned on the MILEX-2023 website, and propaganda seems to be trying not to talk about them, information about Iranian developments at this exhibition can be found.
For example, Iran showed there an armed Shahin unmanned aerial vehicle, which can drop four three-kilogram kamikaze drones.
Characteristics of the Shahin UAV:
Max speed — 120 km/h, Cruising speed — 80 km/h. Mode of operation — up to 2.5 hours. Altitude — from 12 to 14 thousand feet.
In general, drones from Iran received special attention at this exhibition, the Islamic Republic presented a whole range of UAVs, from reconnaissance to attack drones. By the way, the Shahin mentioned above also attracted the interest of Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin, who, together with Secretary of the Security Council Aleksandr Volfovich, was listening attentively to the technical characteristics.
- .50 caliber aviation machine gun
A four-barreled 12.7×108-mm aircraft machine gun was demonstrated by the Iranian Ministry of Defense. It is known that it is designed for installation on helicopters and ships.
The machine gun has four barrels with a length of 1002 mm, the total weight of the gun is 44 kg. It is also known that thanks to the electric barrel drive, the gun has two modes of operation. The first mode is capable of firing up to 1500 bullets per minute, while the second mode — up to 2500 bullets per minute. It is also known that the novelty has two versions of cartridges: for 200 and 400 rounds.
- Mohajer-6 UAV
In addition to the Shahin UAV, Iran showed other drones at the exhibition, an example: the Iranian Mohajer-6 UAV. Its serial number is P071A-007. However, a mock-up was shown, not a full-size Mohajer-6.
- 155-mm Basir missile
Iranian manufacturers also showed various warheads and shells, for example, the 155-mm Basir missile, which is the latest sample of the Zulfikar family. They have a range of 17,4 kilometers and are equipped with an optical detector head capable of striking ships at sea.
Viktor Khrenin, the head of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus, reviewed the advantages of the Iranian 155-mm Basir shells.
- Almas1 anti-tank missile system
Iranian representatives also presented the Almas1 anti-tank missile system, which is available in two types: airborne and man-portable. Anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) used in Almas1 are equipped with a tandem warhead and are capable of destroying enemy targets at a distance of up to 8 kilometers.
We note that airborne versions of Almas1 are used with Mohajer-6 drones and are capable of destroying military equipment. According to a number of data, it is called an analogue of the American Javelin or the Israeli Spike. According to the announced tactical and technical characteristics (TTC), the tandem warhead of the ATGM is capable of breaking 600 mm of armor.
Technical characteristics of the Almas1 anti-tank missile system:
Range of destruction — up to 4 km; Missile length — 1100 mm; Caliber — 130 mm; Weight — 11,5 kg; Weight of the launcher with missile — 15 kg.
- Toophan-5 anti-tank guided missile
The Iranian Ministry of Defense also demonstrated the Iranian Toophan-5 semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) anti-tank guided missile, which was reconstructed from the American BGM-71 TOW missile. The Toophan-5 is considered a premier version of the Toophan missile family, has laser guidance and a tandem warhead, can penetrate up to 900 mm of armor.
Technical characteristics of the Toophan-5 anti-tank guided missile:
Range — 3,5 km; Guidance — SACLOS; Weight of the missile — 23 kg; Weight of the warhead — 6,2 kg.
- KL-133 assault riffle
Iran also presented the KL-133 7,62-mm rifle. According to available information, it is an upgraded version of the Iranian Type 56 assault rifle with modern accessories. The rifle uses a stock and a muzzle brake similar to the AK-100 series of assault rifles produced by the Russian Kalashnikov Concern. Another accessory is the handguard equipped with a Picatinny rail. The rifle also has rails to install optical sights.
Technical characteristics of the KL-133 assault riffle:
Caliber — 7,62 mm; Cartridge — 7,62*39 mm; Round — 30 cartridges.
The Iranian Aviation Industry Organization (IAIO) also presented its developments at the MILEX-2023 exhibition. For example, this drone.
According to representative of the Iranian delegation Reza Alizadeh, participation in MILEX-2023 gives Iran an opportunity to present achievements and products in the field of electronics, combat electronic communication systems, different types of drones and different types of weapons, missiles, light and heavy weapons, and other military systems.
What did China show at MILEX-2023?
China also had a similar exposition at MILEX-2023. The Chinese showed a whole line of Loong drones: the Loong 3 reconnaissance UAV, which can be used for reconnaissance, patrolling, targeted strikes and other purposes, was demonstrated.
It is known that this UAV doesn’t require a runway, is capable of carrying 10 kg of cargo, and its flight time is from 120 to 200 minutes.
They also showed a fixed-wing UAV — Loong 5. This, according to media reports, is an unmanned bomber, with a maximum load of 20 kg and flight time up to 240 minutes, uses a twin-topper configuration, and uses two independent power systems and dual backup power in cruising flight.
A number of multicopters were also shown, such as the Loong 2 and Loong 4, a medium-sized multi-rotor drone with a maximum load of 10 kg.
- CH-5 and FH-92A UAVs
The drones of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CAST) were also demonstrated, in particular the UAV of the CASC Rainbow family — CH-5. It has a wingspan of 21 meters, a load of 1000 kg, and a maximum takeoff weight of more than 3 tons. It has a flight time of up to 60 hours and a range of 10,000 km.
It is remarkable that this drone can carry up to 16 missiles simultaneously. China claimed that the CH-5 Rainbow has similar characteristics to the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper.
There was also a mock-up of the FH-92A reconnaissance and strike UAV, which can perform surveillance and reconnaissance, target detection and firing, fire correction and damage assessment, military mapping and navigation, radio reconnaissance and retransmission of air communications, sensor deployment, etc.
Technical characteristics of the FH-92A: Maximum take-off weight — 380 kg; Maximum payload weight — 75 kg; Maximum speed — 200 km per hour; Autonomous work — 8 hours.
- WS-43 cruise missile
The Chinese company ALIT, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), also showed its products at the exhibition. The company demonstrated the WS-43 miniature cruise missile, which is equipped with a barraging attack munition.
It is known that the WS-43 is capable of carrying a warhead with a weight of 20 kg at a distance of up to 60 km and remain above the battlefield for up to 30 minutes. It is also used to locate, track and destroy a moving enemy, as well as targets that are hard to hit. However, this is not all that ALIT has shown.
- FT-6 precision-guided bombs
Precision-guided bombs of the FT family, developed by the Chinese Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology CASC (CALT), were also displayed at their exposition. Their weight ranges from 25 to 1000 kg, you can see one of these precision-guided bombs, FT-6, in photos from the exhibition.
In addition, the company demonstrated models of reconnaissance attack UAVs of the Cai Hong family, such as the CH-4A, and several man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems of its own production. One of them is the TS-01, a smaller and lighter version of the HJ-12.
- FH-901 attack drone
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation also demonstrated the FH-901 attack drone at MILEX-2023. This UAV can attack maneuvering enemy targets and sensitive targets. The FH-901 can be launched from the ground, as well as by aircraft or other larger drone in the sky.
Drones of the Chinese company Dagong Technology Co., Ltd. (大工科技), as well as the FPV-125 drone of Cobtec, Ltd. were also demonstrated at the exhibition.
In conclusion, we should say that different models of MLRS and SAM systems were demonstrated: A200 (caliber — 300 mm, range — 200 km), A300 (caliber — 300 mm, range — 290 km), M20 (range — 280 km), Ly-80, Ly-70 and FB-10A.
