Serbia tests Chinese combat drones and Russian jets at military training ground
- The training drill, attended by President Aleksandar Vucic and other dignitaries, underlined Serbia’s close military ties with Beijing and Moscow
- For the first time, Serbia demonstrated the use of CH-92A combat drones, the first such deployment of Chinese unmanned aerial vehicles in Europe
Russian-made jet fighters, helicopter gunships and tanks fired at ground targets while Chinese combat drones flew overhead on Saturday at the desolate Pester training ground in Serbia’s westernmost region in a show of revamped military power.
The training drill, dubbed Cooperation 2020 and attended by President Aleksandar Vucic and other dignitaries, underlined Serbia’s close military ties with Beijing and Moscow.
In recent years, Belgrade has accelerated defence spending as it seeks dominance in the Western Balkans.
Its military budget rose to around $1.14 billion in 2020 and 2019 - 43% more than in 2018. This year’s military spending represented about 2.4% of gross domestic product.
“We are strengthening our army to deter any aggressor, we have no intention to wage any … conflicts,” Vucic told reporters after the exercise.
For the first time, Serbia demonstrated the use of CH-92A combat drones, the first such deployment of Chinese unmanned aerial vehicles in Europe. It received six such drones in June.