"They are stabbing Russia in the back". For years they were Putin's ally
Serbia, which for years was among the countries strongly cooperating with Russia, began to diversify equipment supplies for its army even before the war in Ukraine. The recent months have not only seen the continuation of this trend but even its intensification. The Russians have already missed out on a contract for transport planes, and soon the same may happen with regards to fighter jets.
11:09 AM EDT, October 23, 2023
The Ukrainian portal Defence Express writes about "stabbing Russia in the back" and reminds us that in late September, Serbia received its first C-295 military transport aircraft from Airbus. All in all, the local air force is expected to enrich its fleet with two such machines. They will replace the currently used An-26 of Soviet production. Initially, Belgrade seemed inclined to negotiate with Moscow regarding the supply of more such units, but ultimately the talks did not lead to a transfer.
C-295 instead of An-26 in Serbia
An-26 are aircraft produced from 1969–1986. C-295s are much newer, as the first examples date back to 1999, and production has not stopped to this day. These are Spanish aircraft, which are gaining popularity. In Europe, among their users are countries such as the Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, and Poland. Considering the whole world, Serbia has already become the 36th operator of this transport aircraft.
Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127G engines, the C-295 reaches a cruising speed of up to approximately 298 mph. It measures about 80.4 feet in length and allows for the transport of several tons of cargo or dozens (about 70) of soldiers or civilians. Because it is a modern design, its users can enjoy features such as an electronic warfare defense system and flare launchers, as well as advanced GPS navigation modules.
Western equipment is displacing Russian machines in Serbia
In the near future, Serbia might strengthen itself with fighter jets. The need to consider new designs was driven by the desire to move away from the post-Soviet MiG-29. More and more indications are that the money will not be allocated to newer fighters from Russia, but to machines from the West.
Defence Express points to French Rafales, a topic that came up in the context of Serbian Air Forces for the first time a few months ago. The contract may cover as many as 12 fighters with a value of approximately $3.36 billion.
The Rafale is a twin-engine, multi-role fighter jet that has been produced since 1997. It is equipped with a NEXTER 30M791 30 mm caliber gun with a rate of fire up to 2500 rounds/min, as well as several pylons for carrying suspended armament. It also has an advanced electronic warfare system. It reaches speeds of up to 1.8 Mach (approx. 1323 mph).
In July of this year, the Serbs received their first delivery of armored HMMWV vehicles, which were advised by the United States. They ordered as many as 118 units in total. This also signals a "wind of change," because just two years ago, Belgrade was strengthening the army with Russian armored equipment, reaching for 19 T-72 tanks or BRDM carriers.
