The Serbian Armed Forces have signed a contract to acquire 12 Dassault Rafale fighter jets, marking Serbia’s first purchase of the type.
The deal, valued at around €2.7 billion, includes nine single-seat Rafale C and three twin-seat Rafale B fighters. The 12 aircraft are slated for delivery between 2028 and 2029.
Éric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, and Bratislav Gašić, Serbia’s Minister of Defense, signed the contract on August 29, 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron, on an official visit to Serbia, and his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vučić both attended the signing ceremony.
“On behalf of Dassault Aviation and its partners, I would like to thank the Serbian authorities for the confidence they have placed in us by choosing the Rafale and assure them of our total commitment to making its integration into the Serbian Armed Forces a success,” Trappier commented.
Serbia’s Air Force combat fleet currently comprises 11 Russian MiG-29 fighters and 17 indigenous J-22 attack aircraft.
Traditionally a customer of the Russian defense industry, Serbia started to distance itself and seek alternative suppliers upon applying for European Union membership in 2011. Vučić initially expressed Serbia’s interest in acquiring Rafale jets in April 2022.
On April 9, 2022, Serbia received a delivery of one of three FK-3 missile defense systems from China, transported by six Xi’an Y-20A transport aircraft. The FK-3 is an export version of the HQ-22 system used by the People’s Liberation Army.