Belov, Andrei

Born Aug. 6 (19), 1917, in Pskov. Soviet military leader. Marshal of signal corps (1973). Member of the CPSU since 1941.

Belov joined the Soviet Army in 1938 and graduated from the Military Electrotechnic Academy in 1940. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45 he served on the Crimean, Southern, Stalingrad, Steppe, Voronezh, First Ukrainian, Third Byelorussian, First Baltic, Second Baltic, Leningrad, and First Far Eastern fronts as a brigade communications chief and as communications chief of a mechanized corps. Belov held teaching positions from 1948 to 1957.

From 1957 to 1960, Belov served as commander of the signal corps of the Turkestan Military District. He commanded the signal corps of the strategic rocket force from 1960 to 1968, when he was named first deputy chief of communications of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR. In 1970, Belov was appointed chief of communications of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR and commander of the signal corps of the armed forces of the USSR.

Belov has been awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner, the Order of Suvorov Third Class, the Order of the Patriotic War Second Class, three Orders of the Red Star, the Order for Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR Third Class, and various medals, as well as foreign orders and medals.