BATAJNICA, Serbia – Serbia on Saturday showed off its new Chinese-made surface-to-air missiles and other military hardware bought by both Russia and the West as the country attempts a delicate balancing act over Moscow’s invasion of the to accomplish Ukraine.
The public and media were invited to the exhibition at the Batajnica military airfield near Belgrade, where Chinese and French missiles were lined up alongside Airbus helicopters, Chinese-armed drones and Russian MIG-29 jets. Serbia is struggling to balance its partnership with NATO and its aspirations to join the European Union with its centuries-old religious, ethnic and political alliance with Russia.
The Chinese FK-3 surface-to-air defense system, similar to the Russian S-300 or the US Patriot system, was purchased by Belgrade in 2019 and delivered earlier this month.
Serbia is currently the only European country operating the Chinese missile system and CH-92A combat drones. President Aleksandar Vucic toured the exhibition on Saturday, flanked by military commanders, and watched an aerobatic show featuring refurbished MIG-29 jets donated by Russia in 2017. “I’m proud of the Serbian army, I’m proud of a big step forward,” Vucic told a press conference.
“We will significantly strengthen our fighter jets…Serbia is a neutral country and Serbia must find solutions that will allow it to preserve its skies and its state.”
The delivery of the FK-3 missile system prompted several western countries, including Germany, to warn Belgrade that it expects the Balkan country to align its foreign policy with the EU if it wants to become a member. Belgrade has voted against Russia three times at the United Nations, but has not imposed sanctions on Russia. Serbia’s military is loosely based on ex-Soviet technology, and Russia is one of its main suppliers. Belgrade also relies on natural gas and oil supplies from Russia. Vucic said Serbia expects to buy 12 Rafale multirole fighter jets from France by the end of the year or early next year, a move political analysts see as a sign that Belgrade is distancing itself from Russia.
He said Serbia is also negotiating the purchase of 12 Typhoon fighter jets with Britain.
(Reporting by Reuters TV and Daria Sito-Sucic; Writing by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Helen Popper)