“It is more feasible and profitable to buy aircraft from the Russian Federation or China,” Bayagic told RIA Novosti.
“For this amount, we can order more Russian fighters, for example the MiG-35, Su-35, or the Chinese J-20A. Currently, we have the MiG-29 in service and we have enough pilots trained to fly it,” he added.
“Taking into account the dependence of Serbia and Yugoslavia before it on Russian weapons, it would be better for the country’s defense capability and the strengthening of the army to maintain this tradition,” he said.
“I consider the Rafale deal a kind of blackmail from the West given the delivery deadlines. The manufacturer has commitments to orders that extend until 2028-2029. Therefore, the delivery dates for us are long, and they will not be before this period,” he added.
It is noteworthy that under the contract, Belgrade will receive 12 new fighter aircraft with a logistics package and spare units worth 2.7 billion euros.
“Taking into account the current geopolitical processes, it is still unknown what the situation in the world will be in 2029,” Bayagic continued.
He said: “It is better for us to think about purchasing Ka-52 helicopters or MiG-35 fighters, which have proven their effectiveness and are suitable for our conditions.”
“Serbia is like an island in Europe surrounded by NATO, constantly threatened by the escalation of the conflict in Kosovo and Metohija and pressure from the alliance,” Bajagic said. “I think the purchase was forced, although the Rafale is a good aircraft, but I think it would be better to buy Russian warplanes, which in my opinion, in terms of price and quality, are much better than Western and even Chinese aircraft.”
Source: Novosti
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2024-08-31 14:29:10
