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Serbia to open joint UAV factory with Elbit in September

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Serbia will inaugurate a joint UAV factory with Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems between September 15 and September 20.
  • Elbit Systems will hold a 51% stake in the factory, which will produce drones for intelligence gathering and attack, as well as other defense solutions.
  • The deal is one of the highest-value contracts in the Israeli defense industry, highlighting growing defense ties between Israel and Serbia.

Serbia is set to open a new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) factory in partnership with Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems, with the inauguration scheduled between September 15 and September 20. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced the development, which will see Elbit Systems hold a 51% majority stake and Serbia's state-owned arms company SDPR hold the remaining 49%.

The factory will produce drones for intelligence gathering and attack, along with personal drones. The five-year contract also includes the supply of advanced intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities, intelligence gathering and processing systems, electro-optic systems, night-vision systems, and upgrades for battlefield vehicles and protection systems. Additionally, Elbit Systems will provide a comprehensive military digitization and battlefield communications solution.

This collaboration marks a significant expansion of defense ties between Israel and Serbia. The contract is among the highest-value deals for Israeli defense companies, surpassed only by the sale of the Arrow 3 system to Germany for $3.5 billion and previous sales of Barak 8 air defense systems to India. The agreement underscores the growing international demand for advanced defense technologies and strengthens Serbia's military capabilities.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Saturday that his country was about to open a UAV factory with Israeli company Elbit Systems.

— Serbian President Aleksandar VucicAnnouncement of the joint UAV factory.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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