Serbia will spend one billion euros in 2022 to modernize its armed forces.

According to information published by the Serbian Ministry of Defense at the end of December 2021, Serbia will spend one billion euros in 2022 to increase the defense capabilities of its armed forces.
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Serbian soldiers train with the Lazar III 8x8 armored vehicle. (Picture source Serbian MoD)

In 2022, the Serbian army will receive more military equipment and combat vehicles including 18 Lazar 8x8 armored vehicles, 20 Milosh 4x4 light armored vehicles, and 10 6x6 MRAP M20.

Serbian armed forces will also get three Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters, two Pantsir S1 air defense systems batteries, 18 sets of Mistral missiles that will be mounted on PASARS systems, five Little Miloš vehicles, 66 Hummers, and 10 BOV armored vehicles. In addition, 22 new radars will be ordered and deployed in the forthcoming years, to increase the Serbian Air Force’s capability to monitor the entire national territory.

For the Serbian air Force, four Mi-35 attack helicopters will be delivered by Russia, two CASA C-295 military transport aircraft from Spain, and 10 EC-145 helicopters from Airbus.

The Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović have also announced that €142 million will be invested in Serbian factories.

The 2022 budget allocated to the Serbian Armed Forces is over a billion euros, that this is not just an increase in budget, but a strategic investment intended for building the defense capabilities of Serbia, the local defense industry and armed forces, but also for procuring foreign weapons, to equip the Serbian armed forces with the latest technology of military equipment.

Regarding the fighter aircraft and whether we will be able to choose between Russian and French aircraft, Stefanović says that either way, a huge amount of money is in question and that the matter is under strategic consideration.