Serbia, known as Europe's "Serbian Iron", has recently done something unexpected that has left most people scratching their heads.
According to foreign media websites, Serbian President Vučić, who recently visited France, has reached an agreement with French President Emmanuel Macron, agreeing to purchase 12 French Rafale fighters for a total amount of up to 3 billion euros.
The reason why Serbia is in such a hurry to buy a new fighter is because the MiG-29, the main model of its air force, is too old and old, and now air combat is an over-the-horizon attack, and using the MiG-29 to play "hand-to-hand combat" is obviously not in line with the requirements of the current air war. So the shortcomings of the Air Force are a problem that Serbian President Vučić must solve now.
As everyone knows, Serbia is a pro-Russian and pro-China country, and most of the weapons of its army are Russian-made weapons. In recent years, it has also begun to strengthen military cooperation with the mainland, and has purchased a series of advanced weapons, especially the FK-3 anti-aircraft missiles purchased in 22 years, which were sent to Serbia by the mainland with the Y-20 formation. Previously, it was reported that Serbia may consider buying the mainland's J-10C, because the J-10C and Rafale belong to the same third-generation and a half-generation fighters, both are equipped with active phased array radar (AESA), and even the J-10C has better supersonic flight and instantaneous maneuverability.
But judging by the results that have already settled, Serbia still chose Western fighters.
Such a decision would be limited to military reasons, and it would be a very uneconomical option, since for a small country like Serbia, with a population of only 7 million, 3 billion euros is not a small amount, and it is even close to its total military spending for three years. If you use this price, you can buy about 48 J-10Cs with the same performance. Moreover, Serbia is not as rich as India, and the army can be mixed with weapons and equipment from various countries, and maintenance is solved with money. Choosing to buy Western fighter jets means starting everything from pilots to missile adaptation to maintenance, which is even worse for Serbia, which is already financially strained.
People can't help but ask, is Vučić stupid to put the cheap J-10C and not choose, but to buy the expensive and difficult to maintain French Rafale.
In fact, Vučić is not only not stupid, but also very shrewd in his calculations. The performance and cost-effectiveness of weapons and equipment purchased by such small countries on a large scale are not the first factors to be considered, but more of the nature of paying protection money. Serbia, in particular, as an alternative country in Europe, must consider both left and right.
He understands that the rejection of Chinese and Russian fighters will not lead to a deterioration in relations with the two countries. Moreover, because of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Russia's own production capacity is insufficient, and it has no intention of selling fighters to foreign countries. The mainland has friendly relations with Serbia, and China will not interfere in Serbia's military policy, and the relationship between the two countries will not change because of a military purchase.
But the purchase of French fighters would greatly improve relations with Paris.
As the leader of the European Union, France not only has a strong voice in Europe, but also often opposes the United States. Buying a French Rafale fighter is equivalent to finding a backer for Serbia, which is already isolated by the United States and Western countries. This will effectively improve the international environment to the west of oneself and even facilitate the process of joining the European Union. So from this point of view, the purchase of Rafale fighters for 3 billion euros not only meets the needs of its own air force, but also solidifies relations with Western powers. Vučić's calculations are not inadequate.