Serbian Armed Forces Capability Demonstration
Saturday, 30.4.2022 | News
Some units of the Serbian Armed Forces participated today in Capability Demonstration "Shield 2022" at Military Airfield "Colonel-Pilot Milenko Pavlović" in Batajnica. It was held in the presence of Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces and President of the Republic Aleksandar Vučić, Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, and Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, General Milan Mojsilović.
Top officials and citizens could see the capabilities of some SAF units, armed and equipped with the most modern arms and military equipment produced by the Serbian Defence Industry, imported or developed independently. There were over a 1000 members of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces participating, and the demonstration included in excess of 300 assets of arms and military equipment and more than 60 airplanes, helicopters and remotely piloted aircraft.
In a dynamic display, distinguished visitors and citizens could observe highly trained SAF units. The ten sequences presented reconnaissance of enemy disposition, a large regional blockade, provision of air support, special operations units attacking from helicopters, combat search and rescue and pulling out forces, artillery units taking up fire positions, air defence of the territory and SAF forces. Finally, they could see a flyover by an air echelon of the planes such as MiG-29, "Eagle", "Super Seagull G-4" and "Lasta", and helicopters Mi-35, "Gama", Mi-17, Mi-8 and H-145, as well as a parachute jump executed by members of the 63rd Parachute Brigade carrying flags of the Republic of Serbia and Serbian Armed Forces.
A static display consisted of the most modern arms and military equipment used by the Serbian Armed Forces, as well as assets developed by the domestic industry. The public could see for the first time the "FK-3" medium-range air defence system — a state-of-the-art system using the latest radar technology. The citizens could also see the "Pantsir-S1" artillery missile system, the "Pegasus" fully armed unmanned aerial vehicles, CH-92 remotely piloted aerial vehicles, the "Lazar", "Miloš", "Little Miloš", the "Nora" gun-howitzer battalion, modernized tanks and armored fighting vehicles, planes, helicopters, modern optronics, rifles and protective ballistic equipment used by the Serbian Armed Forces.
After seeing the exhibited assets of arms and military equipment, the Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces and President of the Republic Aleksandar Vučić said that he was proud of the Serbian Armed Forces and huge progress that had been made.
— I wish to congratulate the Serbian Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence on this perfectly organized demonstration. I am proud of the Serbian Armed Forces, I am proud of Serbia — stated President Vučić.
The Supreme Commander emphasized that the Serbian Armed Forces had made progress that could be seen in every segment and, to his satisfaction, in details as well. He pointed out that it would be necessary to make additional investments and to augment the fighter-bomber aviation in order for Serbia, as a neutral state, to preserve its airspace.
— We need to augment our Air Force and Air Defence. We have been negotiating acquisition of 12 “Rafale” aircraft, and at the beginning of next year at the latest we will be ready to negotiate purchasing 6+6, or 12 new "Rafale" aircraft, and I also expect negotiations to be held with the British side regarding the purchase of the "Typhoon" aircraft — concluded President Vučić.
As for the procured "FK-3" air defence system, President Vučić stressed that it had been bought at such a reasonable price, functioning as a deterrent to any potential aggressor.
Finally, Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces and President of the Republic Aleksandar Vučić said he was satisfied with the fact that today's demonstration had been attended by a large number of citizens, especially young ones who could see how developed our armed forces had become.
Capability Demonstration "Shield 2022" was also attended by Serbian Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Milorad Dodik, National Assembly Speaker Ivica Dačić, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Ana Brnabić, Governmental ministers, Director of the Security Intelligence Agency, the most responsible SAF officers and representatives of the military diplomatic corps.
