New Combat Vehicles for Serbian Armed Forces’ Contingent in Lebanon
Tuesday, 22.7.2025 | Multinational Operations
Today, a convoy of combat and non-combat vehicles intended for the contingent of the Serbian Armed Forces in UNIFIL has set off from the South Base on the way to Lebanon, via Croatia, Slovenia and further by sea.
These are new 4x4 M-16 Miloš combat vehicles, domestically produced, and Toyota off-road vehicles, with accompanying weapons and equipment, which will replace the M-86 MP combat vehicles and PUCH off-road vehicles used by members of the Serbian Armed Forces in Lebanon since late 2013.
The combined transport came after almost a year of organizational and logistical preparations. The United Nations, as the organizer responsible for this important activity, engaged the German company ITO Global Logistics for the transport.
Commander (N) Duško Bodrožić, from the Peacekeeping Operations Center, says that the replacement of vehicles for our forces in Lebanon aims to improve the existing level of protection and security of the Serbian Armed Forces’ members engaged in this peacekeeping mission.
According to him, the vehicles are being transported by tow trucks, while the equipment is packed in containers and transported by trucks.
— From the South Base, assets and military equipment will be transported through Croatia and Slovenia to the Port of Koper, and then by ship to Beirut, where they will be picked up by UN forces and delivered to the AO where members of our contingent are stationed. At the same time, after the vehicles are delivered to our unit, the assets used by members of the Serbian Armed Forces so far, i.e. 13 M-86 combat vehicles and 14 PUCH transport motor vehicles, will be returned to Serbia in the same way. This rounds off the extensive and very complex task of replacing the assets and military equipment used by the Serbian Armed Forces’ contingent for the peacekeeping operation in Lebanon — said Commander Bodrožić, adding that this was the best opportunity to check the quality and efficiency of new assets produced by the domestic defense industry in real conditions in a peacekeeping operation.
The vehicles will be used by an SAF infantry company which is deployed in Sector East and tasked with patrolling and observation, while securing the base where it is located.
The Serbian Armed Forces began participating in UNIFIL in 2010. Apart from the infantry company in Sector East, where our staff officers and a national support element are deployed, there is also an SAF force protection platoon which is currently deployed in the AO in Sector West.
