Serbia plans to jointly produce combat drones with Israel, in a bid to strengthen its defenses and bolster exports of weapons and military equipment, the country’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic says.
Last week, the Belgrade-based BIRN news website reported Serbia’s SDPR weapons manufacturer wanted to open a drone manufacturing plant with Israel’s Elbit Systems. Elbit would have a 51% stake, with Serbia holding the remainder.
Vucic says Serbia, which is seeking to bolster its drone manufacturing, “cannot make drones like Israel.”
“We will be doing it together, it will be half-and-half, 50-50, and… we will have the best drones in this part of the world,” he tells reporters during a visit to a military unit in Belgrade.
He does not name the Israeli manufacturer, specify the value of investment or say how soon the plant would be operational.
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