Serbia to Buy 15 Mi-35, 3 Mil Mi-17 Russian Helicopters in Next Years - President Vucic

BELGRADE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th December, 2021) Serbia plans to purchase 30 helicopters in 2022-2023 including four new and 11 used Mi-35 Russian helicopters and three Mil Mi-17 Russian aircraft, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday.

The leader spent this weekend on an official trip in the southern Serbian city of Nis, where ground forces are located. Vucic, Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic, and the leadership of the forces held a meeting and attended shooting drills.

"We are expecting large supplies of helicopters next year and in 2023. We are expecting a total of 30 vehicles. They will include 11 Airbus Helicopters H145, four Mi-35 helicopters, three Mil Mi-17 helicopters plus 11 used Mi-35 helicopters, which we buy from an EU member country," Vucic said, adding that this will make Serbia a country possessing the most helicopters in the region.

Vucic said that Serbia's 2022 defense budget of over 1.1 billion Euros ($1.24 billion) will be increased by 500 million euros to purchase equipment and armament including military aviation.

"Today, we decided to order equipment, armament, and transport, as well as weapons, mines, and missiles from the Serbian defense industry for 1.250 billion euros in the next five years. This is an extra impetus for our defense enterprises and huge progress in the Serbian army's purchases for its modernization," Vucic said, as broadcast by the Serbian Tanjug news agency.

The president added that the mentioned total for military equipment purchases does not include the deliveries from Russia and France.