Serbia upgrades PASARS air defense system with new anti-drone features at Partner 2025.

Serbia unveiled an upgraded PASARS mobile air-defense truck at Partner 2025, combining a 40mm Bofors, Mistral/Strela/Malyutka missiles, radar, and counter-UAV EW for layered protection.

Serbia unveiled an upgraded version of its PASARS air defense system at the Partner 2025 defense exhibition in Belgrade, showcasing new anti-drone features. Two configurations were shown: one with a four-tube Silo launcher for Strela-2M, and another combining the Bofors gun with Mistral 3+, Strela-2M or Strela-2MA, and Malyutka 2T5, together with the RPS-42 radar and a counter-UAV jammer. The PASARS can now effectively protect land forces during movement, in combat actions, and to secure installations against low-altitude threats, including cruise missiles, helicopters, UAVs, and fixed-wing aircraft.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

The PASARS short-range air defense system combines the 40 mm L/70 Bofors autocannon with missile launchers, a radar, and an electronic warfare suite mounted on a high-mobility FAP 6×6 truck chassis. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The FAP 2228 and the modernized FAP 2026 6×6 platforms both serve as bases for the PASARS, which was first shown in 2017, entered serial production in 2019, and entered service in 2020. The FAP trucks carry an armored cabin compliant with STANAG 4569 Level I, giving protection against small arms fire and fragments. The system mass is about 17,000 kg, operated by a crew of three. Dimensions are around 7.72 m in length, 2.95 m in width, and 3.1 m in height. Mobility data state a maximum road speed of 100 km/h, off-road speeds between 15 and 25 km/h, and an operational range of 800 km. Traverse is unlimited, elevation spans from −4° to +90°, with traverse speeds up to 85° per second and elevation speeds up to 45° per second. GPS and digital radios are included for positional data and communication with higher-level command and control systems, integrating the vehicle into wider air defense networks.

The PASARS was developed by the Military Technical Institute in collaboration with Yugoimport SDPR, FAP, Prva Petoletka, Srboauto, and Zastava TERVO. Five batteries and two prototypes have been delivered to the Serbian Army. The system is modular, allowing integration of missiles such as Strela, Mistral, RLN, and Malyutka, but the Bofors 40 mm L/70 autocannon remains the central armament, capable of engaging air targets up to a vertical range of 8,800 m with effective fire out to 3,700 m. Its theoretical rate of fire is about 300 rounds per minute, allowing it to sustain defensive fire against aircraft and drones, while also retaining the ability to target ground forces. PASARS integrates this gun with a double-row magazine of improved capacity and day-night optical sights. Serbia manufactures its own ammunition, including programmable airburst rounds with tungsten pellets, providing coverage against UAVs and precision-guided munitions. Unlimited traverse, high angular tracking speeds, and the ability to operate at both low and high elevations make the cannon an adaptable part of the layered system.

The PASARS can be equipped with various missiles, depending on the needs. The Strela-2M, for instance, has an engagement altitude between 50 and 2,300 m and a maximum range of 4,200 m against tail-chase targets. It can hit targets flying at around 260 m/s, with each unit weighing 15 kg and measuring 72 mm in caliber. The Silo rocket extends coverage from 10 to 3,500 m in altitude and 500 to 5,200 m in range, with targets flying up to 400 m/s at departure and 320 m/s at approach. Its weight is about 18.4 kg with the same 72 mm caliber. Strela-2MA improves on these systems with a dual-mode passive seeker combining photo-contrast and infrared, and the addition of a proximity fuze. Together, these missiles provide multiple short-range engagement options, ensuring flexibility against low and maneuvering targets.

The Mistral 3+ provides a higher-performance option. It measures 1.88 m in length, weighs less than 20 kg, and has a diameter of about 90 to 92 mm. Its interception range extends up to 8,000 m, with a ceiling of 6,000 m, while the minimum engagement range is about 500 m. The missile travels at 930 m/s and is capable of maneuvering at up to 30 g to intercept targets maneuvering up to 9 g. It carries a 3 kg warhead with laser proximity and impact fuzes. Its operating temperature spans from −40 °C to +71 °C, and it has a maintenance-free service life of 20 years. This missile type is used in multi-domain environments and provides fire-and-forget capability, complementing the autocannon and the shorter-range Strela series by extending PASARS coverage against more advanced threats.

The Malyutka 2T5 missile extends the role of the PASARS by adding an anti-armor capability. Its minimum to maximum range is 750 to 5,000 m, with moving target engagements between 750 and 4,500 m. It can hit targets with lateral speeds up to 10 m/s. The warhead is a tandem-shaped charge, designed to penetrate 1,000 mm of armor behind explosive reactive armor. Its caliber is 142 mm, and it is guided by SACLOS with a radio link. The missile weighs 26 kg, with a body diameter of 125 mm and a length of 1,700 mm. This integration provides the PASARS with a limited ground-attack capability, expanding its versatility in combined-arms operations. Though primarily an air defense platform, the addition of this missile increases its range of missions.

The RPS-42 radar provides detection and tracking capability for the system, covering altitudes from 10 to 10,000 m and ranges up to 30 km. It can detect UAVs of all sizes, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft, and it belongs to RADA’s Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar family. The counter-UAV jammer operates across 400 to 6,000 MHz with power outputs from 20 to 50 W, neutralizing drones by disrupting communications and navigation. PASARS has also been fitted with RLN-1C and RLN-1C/170 missiles derived from the K-13 (R-13M) air-to-air missile, adapted with improved propulsion, fuzes, and seekers to achieve a 12 km engagement range. The vehicle can also be guided by the M-85 Žirafa radar or an optical indicator, but is also capable of independent operation, as the transition from march to combat mode takes about two minutes.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.