Serbia on Thursday signed a landmark deal with France's Dassault Aviation to buy 12 new Rafale fighter jets for 2.7 billion euros ($2.99 billion), UNN reports citing Reuters.
Details
The agreement, signed by Serbian Defense Minister Bratislava Gashic and Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier, also includes a full package of support logistics, spare engines and parts, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said at a press conference.
"A dozen brand-new aircraft will belong to Serbia... this will contribute to a significant increase in the operational capabilities of our army," Vucic said.
"We are pleased to be part of the Rafale club," he added.
The acquisition, made during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Belgrade, signals a major shift in Serbia's politics and security, away from Russia, its traditional ally and arms supplier, the newspaper notes.
Macron said that Europe needs a strong and democratic Serbia, while Belgrade needs a "strong and sovereign EU.
"The choice of Rafale aircraft by Serbia in this context is a clear choice of a long-term alliance between our two countries," Macron said.
The Rafale purchase is the largest arms deal since Serbia became independent from its state union with Montenegro in 2006.
Vucic said that Serbia will pay for the planes in two tranches of 421 million euros in 2024 and 2025.
He did not specify when Serbia would receive its first Rafale, but said it would be delivered with the French MBDA's MICA medium-range air-to-air missiles instead of the more sophisticated Meteor missiles with a longer range.
Addendum
Belgrade reduced military cooperation with Moscow after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and condemned the invasion, but unlike the EU, which it wants to join, and other Western countries, it did not impose sanctions against Moscow.