Serbia seeks 5,000 expandable UAVs, accelerates production
Unlike other Western Balkan nations, Serbia had no intention to join NATO, citing a preference for neutrality. (Photo: Serbian MoD)
Serbia has expressed its desire to push for a speedier military modernisation, including the acquisition of various drones and the development of domestic UAV technologies.
President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces Aleksandar Vučić said it was aiming to acquire 5,000 Mosquito expandable drones equipped with Krušik – Valjevo warheads.
Although the Serbian MoD’s announcement did not give details of the drones it appeared to be acquiring, Shephard Defence Insight believed they would be an FPV-style aircraft for up to $1.3 million. Deliveries could take place across 2024 and 2025.
During a visit to the country’s Military Technical Institute Belgrade (MIT) last week, Vučić requested the teams to speed up the development of UAVs and declared that the government would invest more money to hire additional staff to make sure that these aircraft enter service by the end of the year.
“A decade’s worth of assets now enter service in a single year, as compared to the past,” the Serbian president said. “This is because the global circumstances are changing. We have to work fast, much faster…Some of these systems will become part of the Serbian Armed Forces’ armament before the end of the year, and kamikaze drones are among them.”
Serbia has been pursuing European Union (EU) membership, but unlike other Western Balkan nations, it had no intention to join NATO, citing a preference for neutrality.
Vučić said during the visit that Serbia was a neutral country, and it must protect its freedom and be much stronger than many countries in the surrounding area so as not to be the target of aggressive behaviour.
The country’s MIT has jointly developed the Pegasus multi-role UCAV with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). Serbia has also acquired the CASC-built FH-92 twin-boom fixed-wing drone, casting doubts over the country’s proclaimed neutrality.
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