02.04.2012.

Minister visits the Special brigade in Pancevo

Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Serbian Army Maj. Gen. Milan Bjelica, in regular activities, visited with his associates the Special Brigade in Pancevo in Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Serbian Army Maj. Gen. Milan Bjelica, in regular activities, visited with associates of the Army Special Brigade in Pancevo Barracks "Rastko Nemanjic."

During the visit the Minister met with the commander of Army Major General Milan Mojsilovic and the Special Brigade commander Brigadier General Ilija Todorov.

According to Minister of Defense, members of the Special performed an exercise thus demonstrating that they were one of the most elite units of its kind in the Balkans, and possibly beyond.

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In the previous period we started equipping units according to the best standards and equipping will be continued even during the summer when the first vehicles such as "Hummer" will arrive in the Special Brigade, said Sutanovac stressing that this unit was an elite one not only because of equipment and manpower but also because of the desire of young people to become part of it.

-For some 60 vacancies, during the admission process, we had over 420 applicants, and seven for each vacancy to be admitted into a unit, indicating that the professionalisation had been a complete success and that this is one quality that makes a trend, and this unit much better, as the minister noted

He also stressed that the planned acquisition of new equipment, including new types of parachutes MC-4 and new vehicles, but also works on the infrastructure of the barracks, in order to obtain mufti-functional form and thus enable the system to save funds, especially where it comes to cost when the unit goes to the shooting battles.

Members of the Special Brigade carried out the exercise "Orao 2012" demonstrating anti-terrorist actions in urban areas and thus demonstrated their ability and a way to use these units.

At the tactical - technical assembly armaments and military equipment were presented, and whose equipment is in the range of special equipment unit of the leading countries.

Special Brigade was formed by consolidating and reorganizing the 72nd Special Brigade, 63 Parachute Brigade and 82nd parts maritime center and "Kobre" anti terrorist battalion. Combat training in anti terrorist, parachuting, reconnaissance-sabotage, and diving units for participation in multinational operations is executed in the brigade. The spectrum of combat training is very broad and includes tactical, fire and physical training of the highest professional risk.

ANSWERS TO REPORTERS’ QUESTIONS:

Answering the question whether there is enough money in the budget for the current needs, Sutanovac said that there is money.

- But we will not only be satisfied with meeting our current needs. It is important to say that in the previous period we started a comprehensive analysis of operating costs with the desire to reduce unnecessary costs and to increase funding for practice and for the investment, the minister said, adding that he expected the military budget to be better next year and that we will continue equipping the Army with quality.

He also noted that the process of procuring helicopters had been initiated, which had not been procured for years, and this year saw the procurement of Lasta aircrafts which had not been purchased for a long time.

Asked if the Ministry of Defense had contacted KFOR and EULEX on the issue of Kosovo police intrusion into the Ground Safety Zone, the minister said that the KFOR had had no knowledge that they were familiar with it and that authorities responsible for that would do everything by the law.

- I expect this incident to be resolved but I also expect the members of our police not to be arrested as they are only doing their job in this part of Serbia and in no way threaten the security in Kosovo, as Sutanovac concluded.