10.11.2018.
Exercise at Pešter training ground
On the provisional Pešter training area, exercise dubbed “Battle group on the march with the transition to attack” was carried out by the Second Army Brigade, in cooperation with the Fourth Army Brigade and units of the Air Force and Air Defence. The exercise includes about 2,000 soldiers and more than 100 combat assets.
The exercise was attended by President of the Republic of Serbia and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces Aleksandar Vučić, Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin, members of the Government, Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Milan Mojsilović, Member of the BiH Presidency Milorad Dodik and Prime Minister of Republika Srpska Željka Cvijanović, representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, associations cherishing the traditions of Serbian liberation wars, military diplomatic corps, local government and numerous guests.The exercise demonstrated the effects of fighter aviation, fighter-bomber aviation, artillery and M-84 tanks, using combat assets that will soon be introduced into the armament of the Serbian Armed Forces. Exercise Director is Commander of the Second Brigade Brigadier General Željko Kuzmanović.
After the exercise, President Vučić assessed the demonstration as very successful, adding that it showed all the capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces. Eight MiGs, |Eagles, helicopters, PASARS system, new NORA, Lazar 3 vehicle, are just a part of the armament that operated in support of the attacking units. This is a motive to continue to take care that the Serbian Armed Forces is growing and developing in the interests of Serbia's peace and security.
Congratulating Minister Vulin and General Mojsilović, as well as all the participants on the successfully conducted exercise on Pešter, President Vučić stressed that he was very happy with what has been shown today, adding that there is no structure as military that takes so much time to show the invested efforts and the financial resources, which require stable public finances, as well as the good work of the Government.
- When you compare what we had in 2013 and today, five years later, these are simply not the same armies. I think that you could see today that all of our soldiers and special forces members were smiling when the exercise was over. First, we had heavy and demanding live firings, from planes, helicopters, tanks, armoured fighting vehicles, NORA and PASARS that have new ceramic armour to make it easier to move – product of our brains. As far as I know, we did not have any accidents, and the guys did the job in an extraordinary way – President Vučić said.He thanked all the participants in this exercise, adding that investments in the military will continue to increase even further, that by the end of 2019, it will be possible to see a huge progress, as most of the assets, weapons and tools are expected in early and middle next year.
- By that Serbia shows that it can protect itself and can improve its Armed Forces. Eight MiG 29 planes were seen today, we have ten in total, and by the end of March, with what we took from Belarus, we will have 14 MiG-29s. We were never able to have five of them in the air. We are doing all this so that we can preserve the freedom and independence of our country and to have peace. These weapons are not here for us to use them – they must be ready for use. But we have weapons and tools and we are improving our army, primarily because of the fact that it exerts preventive influence and for everyone to think what kind of response would it be in the event of a potential attack – President Vučić said.
He added that today only on Peshter 26 tanks could be seen, while 25 were displayed in Pasuljanske livade training area, 13 more will be seen in Titel, and they will be also seen in Sremska Mitrovica.
- All 100 tanks for a hundred years of magnificent Serbian victory in the First World War, in honour of our heroes, our ancestors and for the pride of our descendants – President Vučić said.Responding to a journalist's question of why the Serbian Armed Forces was destroyed in the previous period, President Vučić said that the improvement of the situation in the Armed Forces had to be preceded by fiscal consolidation resulting from the good work of the Government.
- It is in our interest to have a strong army, which is not in the interest of the countries that were in conflict with us, so they found some among us with whom they jointly weakened the strength of our army – President Vučić said, adding that today all members of the Serbian Armed Forces are proud of what they have seen, assessing that our people and citizens of Serbia can be proud of the strength of their army.
Commenting on the budget of the Ministry of Defence for the next year, given that big acquisitions have been planned, the president said that a lot of money has already been earmarked for the defence, and that the budget amounts to EUR 600 million, and that the real budget is over EUR 1 billion.
Congratulations for the successfully organized and conducted exercise were also sent by the member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik, pointing out that this is necessary in order to preserve peace, and for that it is necessary that Serbia has developed powerful armed forces.
- For us who live outside Serbia, and we are Serbs, it gives great pride of all that Serbia has and the achievements that have been shown exactly at this exercise, Dodik pointed out, adding that his desire is to have permanent peace in this area.
Deputy Chief of the Verification Centre of the Republic of Slovenia, Lieutenant Colonel Srećko Matović, is one of 15 foreign observers from the countries of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and China, who observed the exercise organised on the Pešter training area today.- On behalf of foreign observers, I wish to thank the Republic of Serbia for the invitation and opportunity to see your military capabilities while watching the exercise “Century of Victors 1918-2018”. We had the opportunity to see the high level of expertise, readiness and capabilities of your armed forces – Lieutenant Colonel Matović said, adding that the number of personnel and materiel is below the number that they are obliged to report under the Vienna Document.
On Pešter, M84 tanks, M80 infantry fighting vehicles, Gvozdika 122 mm self-propelled howitzers, POLO M83 and BRDM-2 armoured fighting vehicles and “Oganj” multiple rocket launcher, Giraffe radar, and among assets that will soon be introduced into the armament of the Serbian Armed Forces, the PASARS system and Nora 155mm B52 howitzer.
From the Air Force component, the assets involved in the exercise were MIG-29, ORAO J-22, “Gama” and MI-8 helicopters, KUB system and AN TPS-70 radar.
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