Europe · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Aleksandar Vučić Inaugurates Israeli Drone Assembly Factory With Elbit Systems In Serbia
Serbia opened a factory to assemble Israeli-made combat drones. The plant will employ about 100 workers.
Whether Vucic names Elbit.
9 of 10 outlets skipped it: elbit has 51% stake; Jugoimport SDPR has 49%.
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Al Jazeera
“Previous reporting by investigative outlet BIRN and Israeli newspaper Haaretz has identified Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems as Serbia’s partner”Read the original ↗
European Interest
“Vučić did not disclose specific details about the factory, saying he could not invite the press because of the “confidentiality of the production process.”Read the original ↗
Al Jazeera and others use prior investigative reporting to name Elbit, while Reuters-style wires stress Vucic’s official non-disclosure.
Drone factory in Serbia
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić inaugurated a factory to assemble Israeli-made drones in Serbia, saying it would employ around 100 workers and produce “the most modern equipment” for the Serbian military and the armed forces of other countries.
“In an Instagram post on Thursday, Vučić said the new factory will create about 100 jobs”
Vučić said he could not invite the press because of the “confidentiality of the production process,” and videos shared on Instagram showed him touring the facility and briefly operating a drone.
The factory is described as assembling Israeli-designed combat drones, with Elbit Systems named as the Israeli partner in reporting that Serbia’s state arms producer Yugoimport SDPR would collaborate with Elbit Systems to establish the drone plant.
Regional reporting also said the Serbian government and its Israeli partners expect to open at least three more factories across Serbia, and Vučić said the plans were “huge.”
Elbit stake and drone types
Reporting tied the venture to Elbit Systems, saying Elbit holds a 51% stake in the venture and Serbia’s state-owned Jugoimport SDPR holds the remaining 49%.
The factory is located in Simanovci, about 30 kilometers west of Belgrade, and it was expected to open around mid-September.
In August, Vučić said the factory would produce two types of combat drones: a short-range, high-payload aircraft with rotating wings and a faster, longer-range model with a flight ceiling of more than six kilometers.
The same reporting said engineers from Serbian aircraft manufacturer Utva, which is owned by SDPR, are expected to participate in the project, as part of Serbia’s broader military modernization effort.
Vučić also said the public would be impressed by what was being produced there, while journalists were not invited to tour the facility due to the confidentiality of the production process.
European scrutiny and next steps
The drone factory announcement comes as Serbia faces scrutiny over arms exports to Israel, with BIRN and Haaretz saying arms exports rose from 1.4 million euros ($1.6 million) in 2023 to 42.3 million euros in 2024.
“rose from 1.4 million euros ($1.6 million) in 2023 to 42.3 million euros in 2024”
During a visit to Serbia earlier this year, UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese said Belgrade remained one of Israel’s “most steadfast and determined allies” despite calls for more countries to restrict weapons exports due to the war in Gaza.
Serbia’s defense expansion is also linked to European scrutiny and broader military modernization, with the Reuters-based reporting noting Serbia ordered 12 French-made Rafale jets in 2024 and acquired military equipment from China and Russia while officially pursuing membership in the European Union.
Vučić framed the drone factory as part of a deterrence effort, telling daily Informer that the goal was to preserve peace and stability by ensuring Serbia was strong enough to deter potential aggressors.
He said the project would be followed by additional production, writing that Serbia would open at least three more factories across Serbia with Israeli partners.