Serbia planning drone production with Israeli partner – Future factory at Pink’s facility in Simanovci

Serbia plans to launch drone production in cooperation with the Israeli company Elbit Systems, one of the largest manufacturers of military equipment in the country.

According to BIRN and the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the new factory would be a joint project between Elbit and the Serbian state-owned company SDPR, with the Israeli company holding a majority stake of 51%. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced the imminent opening of a factory for “the most serious drones in the world” in early March, but did not reveal the name of the partner.

According to the same sources, the production of two types of unmanned aerial vehicles is planned: one intended for shorter missions, which can carry a larger load, and the other, more advanced, for long range and higher operating altitudes. The factory is expected to be located in an industrial zone in Simanovci, in a facility owned by the Pink Media Group, owned by media mogul Zeljko Mitrovic. The project would also involve domestic engineers, including experts from the Serbian aviation industry, with the expected transfer of technology and knowledge.

As analyst Vuk Vuksanović told BIRN, Serbia could benefit financially from this project and gain access to advanced technologies, while Israel seeks to secure a supply chain outside the region often affected by conflicts. He added that the Israeli side had an interest in diversifying production outside its immediate surroundings.

At the same time, according to the same sources, military cooperation between the two countries is already growing: Serbian arms exports to Israel have increased significantly and reached tens of millions of euros annually, mainly through deals implemented by the SDPR.

According to BIRN and Haaretz, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese stated in her report that certain companies, including Elbit Systems, profited from Israeli military operations in Gaza, while Israel rejected accusations of genocide.

The text also states that certain countries and financial institutions have previously limited cooperation with this company. As an example, Spain’s decision to suspend the arms procurement contract is cited, as well as previous decisions by some European funds and banks to withdraw from investments.

Despite criticism, the text states, Elbit Systems continues to expand its business and record revenue growth.

Let us remind that the Serbian company PR-DC, owned by Zeljko Mitrovic, recently presented a new configuration of a multicopter drone called IKA‑ROCKET, capable of launching standard 57mm aircraft missiles.

Last summer, information emerged that Serbia was a buyer of Israeli weapons worth 1.63 billion USD.

As the Israeli Globes stated at the time, this pertained precisely to the weapons of the company Elbit Systems Ltd.

The order, as specified by one of the largest Israeli business media outlets, consists of two groups of products: the first group includes long-range precision artillery-missile systems and a wide range of unmanned reconnaissance and combat systems for circling the target, from operational to tactical ranges, including drones for personal use. The second group includes sophisticated ISTAR capabilities, including SIGINT, COMINT and electronic warfare systems.

Jugoimport-SDPR Beograd

Pink media group doo Beograd

Elbit Systems Izrael

SDPR

Pink Media Group

Željko Mitrović

Vuk Vuksanović

Aleksandar Vučić

Francesca Albanese

production of drones

drone factory