Procurement: January 17, 2000

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Belarus ranked as the 7th largest arms exporter (behind the US, France, Germany, Russia, China, and Israel in that order) in 1998, and wants to remain among the top 10. This will involve aggressively marketing equipment taken from its own military, as well as newly produced equipment. On the block are tanks, aircraft, helicopters, air defense, and multiple rocket artillery systems. Belarus is also trying to claw its way into the armored vehicle refit department, insisting that it can upgrade T-54s, T-55s, T-62s, and T-72s along with BMP-1s and BMP-2s. --Stephen V Cole