【Military Subplane】Author: Lu Zhi
Serbia recently said it would buy French Rafale fighter jets, and there are quite a few of them, up to 12. This means that the continental J-10 fighter jet and the Russian Su-35 and other fighters will not be able to participate in the Serbian market. So Serbia is a good brother of Russia and a friend of the mainland, so why do you have to buy an expensive Rafale?
▲ Image source: Internet
The current situation of the Serbian Air Force is very average, with only 14 of the most advanced MiG-29 fighters, and although they have been upgraded, their strength may not be as good as that of the Thunder of the tabula rasa. There are 17 J22 attack aircraft, and the helicopters are basically from Russia, but some of the newly purchased models, such as transport aircraft and trainer aircraft, are also from France and Spain, etc., and even some UAVs from the mainland.
The relationship between Serbia and Russia is not bad, and because of the relationship in the former Soviet Union, this leads to the fact that if Serbia really wants to upgrade its air force fighters, then choosing Russia is indeed a relatively efficient and direct choice, and the price is not very high. On the other hand, Serbia has already purchased the mainland's drones, if you want to choose your own fighter from the mainland's list of exported weapons, then both the J-10 and the Thunder are quite suitable, and you can even choose the future FC31 fighter after buying either of these two fighters, which is a better choice than the Rafale fighter.
▲ Image source: Internet
Serbia argues that the Rafale is superior to its current MiG-29 fighters, and that the choice of the Rafale will undoubtedly significantly improve Serbia's air combat capabilities, and that the contract will be signed within two months. This proves that the Rafale fighter is really going to enter service in Serbia, and there is almost no room for change. Serbia has good relations with Russia and the mainland, and it is not a NATO country, but Serbia, as an Eastern European country, has always been committed to joining the European Union, after all, joining the EU has far-reaching impact on Serbia's economy and all aspects. Distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors, no matter how much you think about friendship, you have to have a good relationship with these neighbors, which is also the helplessness of a small country. So even if Western news media report that Russia has even recruited soldiers from Serbia to fight in the war in Ukraine, Serbian officials are still willing to choose European fighter jets, which is obviously through the purchase of French fighter jets to obtain tickets to the European Union.
▲ Image source: Internet
Judging from the performance of the fighters and the composition of the Serbian Air Force, even if Serbia replaces all the main combat fighters in service, there will be a maximum of 20 aircraft. As mentioned earlier, Serbia's real goal is to enter the European Union, and to draw as much distance as possible with Russia and make overtures to European countries is a prerequisite for entering the European Union. Any country that needs to buy weapons, when it actually buys weapons, will be swayed by politics and the greater good, and it is not as simple as who buys whom. The arms market of Eastern European countries has been gradually encroached upon by Europe and the United States, and the biggest impact is Russia, and continental fighters and military weapons have never been the first choice of such countries, so there is no need to wade into troubled waters.
▲ Image source: Internet