Russia delivers first shipment of Pantsir-S1 air defense systems to Serbia
The first part of a Pantsir-S1 aerial defense system has arrived in Serbia, announced Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin, as reported by the Serbian Defense Ministry.
“With the acquisition of the protective weapon, the only one of its kind in the region, Serbia is continuing to reinforce its defensive power and to grow its deterrence potential,” Vulin observed. He said that this improves Serbia’s ability to maintain military neutrality, which is the underlying principle of the country’s security stance.
In October 2019, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the country had purchased a single Pantsir-S from Russia. Alexander Mikheev, CEO of Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state defense exports agency, said at the end of the year that Belgrade would start receiving the systems over the next few months, as per the contract. He noted that Serbian soldiers have been trained to operate the aerial defense systems.
The self-propelled land and sea-based surface-to-air missile system was adopted into the armament in 2010. It can be used against land and water targets and enemy personnel, and offers protection against modern airborne threats.