31.10.2017.

Proud of our armour

On the occasion of the Day of Armored Units, Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin has visited today the units of the Second Army Brigade deployed in the "Jovan Kursula" barracks in Kraljevo.

On that occasion, in the presence of Army Commander Lieutenant General Milosav Simović, Commander of the Second Army Brigade, Colonel Željko Kuzmanović and representatives of the local self-government, Minister of Defence also attended the demonstration of a part of the operational capabilities of the units of this brigade.

Congratulating the members of the Second Brigade on the Day of Armoured Units, Minister Vulin told them that every branch of the Serbian Armed Forces is equally important because it is manned with courageous people.

- I am proud of you, the invincible armourers who have spread the glory of this army and the glory of this people wherever it was needed and I am proud of our armour – Minister of Defence said and added that there are armies that have higher budgets and better tanks, but not those with brave people who love their country more.

Minister Vulin pointed out that our policy of military neutrality is possible due to the fact that the Serbian Armed Forces is so strong, organized and equipped.

- The process of reconstruction of our army will continue, and I expect that next year, in accordance with the agreement between President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić and President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, military-technical cooperation and equipping of our army will continue. We are looking forward to receiving assistance in materiel, in armour. Next year, we are to continue the development of our armoured units, and we are doing everything to fully master the general overhaul of the M-84 tank, and in this way we can satisfy all needs of our armored units on our own - the Minister of Defence said.

Commander of the Second Army Brigade, Colonel Zeljko Kuzmanović, reminded of the history of the armoured units and pointed out that it was in Kraljevo, as far as that branch of the Serbian Armed Forces was concerned, where "everything started".

- The first two tanks confiscated from the occupiers in the Second World War were used in the liberation of Kraljevo – Colonel Kuzmanović said, adding that the number of armoured units achieved significant results this year, primarily in terms of achieving the required level of training and qualification of units, which we presented in Russia at the world's largest tank crew competition, where the team of the Serbian Armed Forces took the high sixth place.

He pointed out that the branch of armoured units this year improved the accommodation capacities for its assets as well as the serviceability and general mobility of fighting vehicles and tanks M-84 and T-72, as well as infantry fighting vehicles M-80.

Members of the 26th Tank Battalion and 27th and 28th Mechanized Battalion carried out demonstration of the crossing of fighting vehicles across a bridge launched from a tank launched bridge and recovery of a fighting vehicle using a tank recovery vehicle.

Armoured Units of the Serbian Armed Forces celebrate 31st October in memory of the same date in 1941, when the insurgent units used two tanks in the battle for the liberation of Kraljevo for the first time.