Serbia inks deal with France for Rafale fighter jets

After many months of negotiations, Serbia and France have agreed to purchase Rafale fighter jets. Acquiring these aircraft, whose capabilities we recall, will be another critical step for Serbia in distancing itself from Russia, with which it has been militarily linked for years.

As reported by "La Tribune," the French authorities and Dassault Aviation (the manufacturer of Rafale fighters) have concluded negotiations with Serbia, which took about two years. These negotiations concerned the sale of 12 Rafale fighters. French media expect the official announcement of the agreement during Emmanuel Macron's visit to Belgrade (August 29-30).

The Rafale is the most modern aircraft of the French Air Force. This twin-engine, multi-role fighter features a design based on a delta wing with a canard configuration. It has excellent maneuverability at both low and high speeds. Rafale's maximum speed is 1.8 Ma, or approximately 1,324 mph. The maximum altitude at which it can operate is up to 55,118 feet.

The factory equipment of this fighter includes a 30 mm onboard cannon with a rate of fire of up to 2,500 rounds/minute and 14 pylons for carrying additional armament. Compatibility with a wide range of missiles and bombs has been provided. The Rafale can carry, among others, long-range air-to-air Meteor missiles, short/medium-range air-to-air MICA missiles, AM 39 Exocet anti-ship missiles, Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missiles, and ASMP-A guided bombs with a thermonuclear warhead.

The prolonged negotiations were reportedly driven, among other factors, by Paris's position demanding Belgrade to normalize relations with Kosovo. At the same time, the concluded contract is seen as very convenient for Dassault Aviation. The company was looking for a minor contract (12-18 fighters) to supplement its production plans (orders for the United Arab Emirates, France, and Indonesia are already being fulfilled).

"All the lights are green for Rafale from Dassault Aviation to land in Serbia. Technically speaking, according to our sources, the negotiations were concluded at the beginning of the summer, but this contract also has a very geopolitical dimension (regular tensions between Serbia and Kosovo)," reports "La Tribune."

Serbia boasts one of the largest armies in the Balkans, but in terms of aviation, it still relies on Soviet-era aircraft supplied by Russia. It has, among other things, MiG-29 fighters and Mi-35 helicopters. As early as September 2023, however, signs of looking towards the West appeared. Serbia then received its first C-295 military transport aircraft from Airbus. These types of machines have begun to replace Soviet-era An-26s.