President Vučić at Exercise "Maneuvers 2022": We Have Enhanced Significantly Our Capabilities and Capacities

Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces and President of the Republic Aleksandar Vučić has attended some activities performed as part of Joint Exercise "Maneuvers 2022" at "Pasuljanske Livade" Training Ground today.

Together with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević and Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff General Milan Mojsilović, President Vučić had an opportunity to see a high level of SAF service and reserve personnel’s competence for executing live firing with the use of infantry, artillery and armored units’ weapons, as well as assets from our defence industry’s development program.

Having seen the live firing, President Vučić visited a static display of domestically produced arms and military equipment after which he held a meeting with representatives of the defence industry.

Following his tour of the exercise activities, President Vučić commended the members of the Serbian Armed Forces claiming that they had completed their assignments very well. 

— You have seen some of the new weapons and some of those which are being introduced to the system, which is not always easy and simple. We are particularly working on drones and fitting them with arms. Currently, we are in a very unique position, and that was the reason for this meeting, because we need to produce everything on our own. We can no longer receive any shipment from anywhere. They do not deliver for two years even what we paid for in the West. Might is right. And what we purchased in the East cannot fly to our country, because no one allows that. Such good friends and brothers... Only Serbia cannot have weapons… So we need to focus on ourselves and produce sufficient arms and assets and ammunition. It was a brief meeting, but not an easy one. We will continue with the meetings, we need to have a complete property list in all factories by the beginning of next year. Prior to that, we will only be interested in capital and what improves our defence industry. We are going to invest much more, and it would not be wrong to say that we have made a lot of changes and enhanced significantly our capabilities and capacities. Of course, I am never quite satisfied — stated President Vučić.

In a conversation with exercise participants, the Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces has underlined the importance of the reserve component and pointed out that a way should be found to reward those who reported to the reserve component.

— To have the advantage when applying for public administration jobs or some other advantages, we should find a way to motivate those who accepted the call — said President Vučić and thanked the reservists for accepting the call.

The SAF are to execute the activities as part of Joint Exercise "Maneuvers 2022" by 06 November in order to bolster the commands’ and units’ capabilities for planning and conducting operations and check the combat-readiness in response to challenges, risks and threats to the security of the Republic of Serbia.