Breaking news
Russia to deliver tanks, armored vehicles and planes for free to Serbia 72912162.
| 2016
|
|
|||
|
Defence & Security News - Serbia
|
|||
|
|
|||
| Russia to deliver tanks, armored vehicles and planes for free to Serbia | |||
|
Serbia will receive six Mikoyan MiG-29 (NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) fighter jets, 30 T-72 tanks and 30 BRDM-2 combat reconnaissance/patrol vehicles from Russia free of charge, Serbia’s Tanjug state-run news agency reported.
|
|||
|
|
|||
 Russian Fulcrum Mikoyan MiG-29 |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Work to upgrade the planes will include three stages and cost Serbia $180-230 million ($188-240 million), the news agency added. "If you calculate the costs of buying such planes, you will see they would cost us around 600 million euros," the news agency quoted Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic as saying. Vucic made this statement after a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on December 21.
According to the prime minister, this "will dramatically improve the Serbian Armed Forces’ capabilities." "We also got 30 T-72S tanks, 30 BRDM-2 combat reconnaissance/patrol vehicles and 14.5 mm cannons as a gift," Vucic said. An agreement on the delivery of the planes is expected to be signed soon. The MiG-29 fighter jets will be delivered to Serbia under one of the two programs. Under the first program, the fighter jets will be delivered to Serbia in March. The planes will be accompanied by Russian specialists who will repair them in Serbia. Under the second plan, the fighter jets will be repaired and upgraded in Russia through November 2017 and then delivered to Serbia. According to the news agency, the sides also discussed the Buk-M1 (SA-11 Gadfly) and Buk-M2 (SA-17 Grizzly) air defense systems and the Tunguska (SA-19 Grison) anti-aircraft missile/gun system. As the prime minister said, Serbia could purchase the Buk-M1 and Buk-M2 systems at the market price but it does not have the money ($500 million) at the moment. "We also discussed the Buk-M2 and the Tunguska, but for 2018," Vucic said. |
|||
|
|
|||
|
© Copyright 2016 TASS. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|
|||