Serbia to co-produce combat drones with Israel in defence push

BELGRADE – Serbia plans to jointly produce combat drones with Israel, in a bid to strengthen its defences and bolster exports of weapons and military equipment, the country’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday.

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, which would have a 51 percent stake with Serbia holding the remainder.

Vucic said 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 told reporters during a visit to a military unit in Belgrade.

He did not name the Israeli manufacturer, specify the value of investment or say how soon the plant would be operational.

SDPR did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Serbia wants to modernise its army, loosely based on the ex-Soviet technology, with purchases from Europe, Israel and China.

In early 2025, Serbia bought Elbit’s PULS artillery systems and Hermes drones for $335 million and in August 2025 it also purchased long-range missiles, drones and electronic warfare equipment for around $1.6 billion.

Belgrade also exports ammunition and other military equipment to Israel, Vucic said on Monday.

Belgrade also purchased France’s Rafale jet fighters manufactured by Dassault, aiming to replace its ageing Soviet-made MIG-29 planes. It has bought cargo aircraft and helicopters from Airbus and Chinese missiles and drones.

Serbia is striving to balance a partnership with NATO and aspirations to join the European Union with its centuries-old religious, ethnic and political alliance with Russia and strategic ties with China.