The defense industry of Serbia is the largest in the Western Balkans. Serbia's export of weapons and military equipment in 2021 was valued at $1.23 billion (€1.13 billion).[1] It consists of around 200 companies, both public and private, working in many different fields.Serbian defense companies closely cooperate with the Military Technical Institute, country's top-level military scientific research institution, in developing new weapons, as well as with Serbian Armed Forces' Technical Testing Center, using its services for testing of new defense products. Universities and colleges in Serbia also participate through various contracts with the companies.
Legal framework
All Serbian manufacturers of defense equipment must abide to the Law on Manufacturing and Sale of Weapons and Defense equipment.[2] There is a special permission for manufacturing defense material and manufacturers must meet many criteria in order to get a permit for manufacturing. There is also a special registry that all companies have to apply to in order to obtain permits for import or export defense products; as of 2018, 219 companies were registered for arms import-export.[3]
Education
There are several universities that have proper defense industry study programs, such as:
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade
- Faculty of Engineering, University of Kragujevac
- Department for Military Industrial Engineering[6]
- Military Academy of University of Defence[7]
Manufacturers
Production is performed in many companies, both public (state-owned) and private. There is a close cooperation between some of these in numerous projects.
Public
Public companies i.e. those that are state-owned are grouped into "Defence Industry of Serbia" holding (Serbian: Одбрамбена индустрија Србије, romanized: Odbrambena industrija Srbije).
| Company | Portfolio | Employees | Revenue (as of 2019, EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yugoimport SDPR | armored vehicles and artillery systems | 1,520 | 181.85 million |
| Krušik | large-caliber ammunition (missiles, rockets, shells) | 3,186 | 81.48 million |
| Prvi Partizan | small-caliber ammunition | 1,713 | 61.21 million |
| Sloboda | large-caliber ammunition | 1,750 | 58.55 million |
| Milan Blagojević - Namenska | gunpowder | 1,282 | 46.06 million |
| Trayal | explosives, protective devices | 1,124 | 43.20 million |
| Zastava Arms | firearms | 2,631 | 32.59 million |
| Yumco | uniforms, bulletproof vests | 2,040 | 24.18 million |
| PPT Namenska | multiple rocket launchers, anti-aircraft systems, mortars, robots | 701 | 17.80 million |
| Prva iskra | explosives | 168 | 11.74 million |
| Teleoptik - žiroskopi | optics | 202 | 2.91 million |
| Fabrika automobila Priboj | off-road trucks | 200 | 1.45 million |
| Zastava TERVO | off-road vehicles | 46 | 0.47 million |
| Total | 16,374 | 563.49 million | |
Private
Partial list of private companies includes:
- EDePro - rockets, ammunition, UAV, seekers for IR guided missiles, engines for rockets and UAV
- Iritel - electronics, radars
- Tigar - NBC protection, tank and vehicle parts
- Proizvodnja Mile Dragić - uniforms, shoes, boots, personal protections etc.
- NB Inat - pistols, rifles and guns
- SovaNVision - electronics and optics
- Senzor Infiz - electronics, battery chargers, laser designations, ballistic computers
- Imtel komunikacije - portable radars, radar detectors, electronics
- PPT-TMO - mechanical parts for rifles, tanks, rockets
- Pneumatik flex - hydraulics for self propelled artillery and other vehicles
- Pneumo logic - acclimatization and ventilation systems for self propelled artillery and other vehicles
- Poliester - tubes for MANPADS
- VLATACOM - security systems, radars
- Ei-OPEK - ammunition fuzzes, multiple rocket launchers controllers and electronics
- FTN-IRAM-RT - radar spare parts, electronics for radar data acquisition and radar controllers
- Tehnoremont - combat vehicles overhaul
- Azimuth-DPS - combat vehicles overhaul, tank overhaul, T-55 modernization, combat wheeled vehicles production
Fairs
Every two years international defense fair "Partner" is organized in Belgrade. Defense companies of Serbia participate at fair presenting its latest products.[8]
References
Sources
- "Serbia to invest some budget savings in defence industry - Prime Minister". Reuters. 20 April 2017.
- "Serbia is the biggest exporter of weapons in the region". Министарство трговине, туризма и телекомуникација.
- "Serbia celebrates arms industry revival". Financial Times. 23 March 2010.