Serbia has signed a contract to buy 12 Rafale fighter jets from France, President Aleksandar Vucic announced during a visit to Belgrade by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. His remarks were quoted by the Novosti.rs portal.
The transaction value was EUR 2.7 billion. The agreement also includes the purchase of related goods and services.
“The Rafale purchase is great news for us and you will see that we will be open to you. The contract was signed with a full package of supporting logistics, from spare engines to everything else.” – Vucic said at a joint press conference with Macron.
The purchase of fighters, he said, will significantly increase the operational capability of the Serbian army.
“We are happy to be part of the Rafale Club and we thank President Macron for taking this decision and allowing us to purchase new aircraft.” Vucic added.
In December 2021, the Serbian Minister of Defense Nebojsa Stefanovic He said the country’s armed forces were going to buy fighter jets and were choosing between Russian and French ones. He then noted that Belgrade was leaning more towards Rafale, but the final decision would only be made after a thorough analysis of the situation, as “we are talking about very expensive things.”
