Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić announced on Thursday the inauguration of an assembly factory for Israeli-made drones in the Balkan country, aimed at bolstering its military capabilities. In April, Vučić revealed Serbia’s plans to produce combat drones in collaboration with Israel. According to regional news service BIRN, the Serbian state arms producer Yugoimport SDPR is set to collaborate with Elbit Systems to establish the drone plant.
In an Instagram post on Thursday, Vučić said the new factory will create about 100 jobs and produce “the most modern equipment” for the Serbian military and the armed forces of other countries. Vučić did not disclose specific details about the factory, saying he could not invite the press because of the “confidentiality of the production process.”
“Our plans are ambitious,” Vučić wrote, revealing intentions to open at least three more factories throughout Serbia in partnership with Israeli firms. Videos shared on Instagram showed the nationalist populist president touring the factory, where he inspected and briefly operated a drone.
“Now you can see how the drone is used and how it works,” Vučić remarked. “They can go through windows and pursue targets; they are incredibly efficient.”
Expressing his satisfaction with this level of development, Vučić added that Serbia’s Krusik weapons factory would manufacture warheads. In the video, Vučić is seen listening to a Serbian employee explain the drone’s functions, to which he responded, “It looks even more complicated than I expected.”
Serbia’s populist leader is currently facing a high-stakes early parliamentary election on 25 October, which will test his tight grip on power following nearly two years of anti-government protests.
To modernise its military fleet, Serbia ordered 12 French-made Rafale jets in 2024 and has also acquired military equipment from China and Russia, maintaining close ties with both countries while officially pursuing membership in the European Union.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
