In the presence of the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, the Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, Éric Trappier, signed today in Belgrade with the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Serbia, Bratislav Gašić, the contract for the acquisition of 12 Rafale fighter jets to equip the Serbian Armed Forces Air Force and Air Defense.
The contract for the procurement of 12 brand new Rafale combat aircrafts, together with all their equipment, amounts to €2.7 billion. This figure represents a saving of €300 million compared to the initial estimate made by President Aleksandar Vučić during his visit to IDEX 2023, where he promoted the Serbian war industry and stressed the importance of strengthening the country’s military capabilities.
«En nombre de Dassault Aviation y de sus socios, me gustaría agradecer a las autoridades serbias la confianza que han depositado en nosotros al elegir el Rafale, y asegurarles nuestro total compromiso para que su integración en las Fuerzas Armadas serbias sea un éxito. La decisión de Serbia de equiparse por primera vez con un avión Dassault confirma la superioridad operativa del Rafale y su probada excelencia al servicio de los intereses soberanos de una nación», declaró Éric Trappier.
See also: Rafale enters service with Croatian Air Force
The new Rafale will replace the Serbian Air Force’s current fleet of MiG-29 Fulcrum aircrafts, which has become obsolete due to sanctions imposed by the West following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions make the MiG-29s increasingly difficult to operate, as they make it difficult to obtain spare parts and limit maintenance options.
