26.02.2019.
Minister Vulin: Today, Serbia has 14 MiG-29 planes
Once the overhaul, and then the modernisation of Belarus MiG planes has been completed, Serbia will have 14 fighter planes at the level of 4+ generation, which is almost the most modern that can be in the world. But back in 2012, when current President Aleksandar Vučić became the minister of defence, there were days and weeks when Serbia did not have a single serviceable plane that could take off and protect our sky, and implement everything that a sovereign and internationally recognised country has to do protecting its sky - said Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin appearing in the TV programme “New Morning” broadcasted by the Pink television.
- We will never be able to match Russia or America. And we do not even need it. But for our own needs, and for the region, we will have an absolutely most modern fleet of fighters since 1987, when we replenished it the last time - said the minister of the military.
Speaking about the acquisitions of arms and military equipment, Minister Vulin pointed out that once almost completely forgotten Air Force and Air Defence is now restored to a state where it will have 14 MiGs and new helicopters as well. He underlined that three new helicopters Mi-17 are yet to arrive, along with four Mi-35 and nine H-145, out of which five are for the Serbian Armed Forces and four are for the Ministry of Interior.
- Back in 2012, we were not able even to imagine something like that. It was so distant, unthinkable. Now we can match any country in the region by the number of helicopters which are new and the-state-of-the-art, and we can even be in the lead - said Minister Vulin adding that a lot had been done in the previous years when it came to the armament.
- When you have planes, the pilots can fly then. Without them they could not practice, fly and train - said Minister Vulin and added that at that moment we had a sufficient number of aircraft and sufficient number of pilots.
The minister reminded that the enrolment on military schools was ongoing - the Military Academy, Medical Faculty of the MMA, Military Grammar School and Military Vocational High School and he called all interested in military profession to come and see what the life in military schools was like and to see whether it suited them and if they can see it as their career being in the Serbian Armed Forces. He added that there existed a great interest in military schools that year as well.
Commenting on the agreement on military technical cooperation with Belarus, the minister of defence highlighted that the takeover of the four MiG planes was the crown of that agreement.
- That to a large degree speaks about the importance of good relations. The relations between President Vučić and President Lukashenko are friendly relations between two men who sincerely respect and appreciate each other and who work for the benefit of their countries. It is not something that you become by chance. There are other countries which would very much like to get four MiG planes, and you will admit that we are not a strategic partner of Belarus - we are far from each other - said Minister Vulin and added that the agreement had happened because President Lukashenko respected President Vučić as a man who pursued a brave and independent policy and he underlined that there were not many such presidents.
The minister of defence also added that the statements of officials from numerous countries showed that they turned their heads to the centres of power and waited for them to speak only to reiterate it later, while Serbia had its own policy, and it said the things that are in its interest and in the interest of the international law.
He stressed that the military technical agreement with Belarus was being implemented very well and he was confident that the cooperation was going to be further developed.
- This year we are the hosts of a traditional large exercise “Slavic Brotherhood” which is conducted by Russian, Belarus and Serbian Armed Forces. I am certain that we will be good hosts, and that they will learn from us - Vulin stated adding that we had 39 different activities envisaged for this year with Belarus, which placed us by the number of activities on the second place among the armies with which Belarus cooperated, right behind the Russian Federation.
Answering a reporter’s question as to why Serbia armed itself, Minister Vulin emphasised that to arm yourself it first required a state, and the policy of the Government of Aleksandar Vučić which had saved huge money, managed to recover Serbian economy and arrive at an economy able to finance such armed forces.
- But the money is not enough. You have to have a political will. You have to have a free and independent policy of this country which can say that we are militarily neutral and that is why we have to arm ourselves. The question is not why Serbia is procuring the armament. We are militarily neutral country, and no one will come to assist us if the worst happens. We will have to do everything by ourselves. That is why we have to have the aviation, artillery and armoured units and infantry. We have to have everything because we are alone - the minister of defence said and added that the question was not why Serbia was procuring the armament, but why the countries that were members to the NATO Alliance were arming themselves, since they had someone to protect them while we did not.
He continued that it was precisely why we had to be armed and strong.
- If we are strong and armed, if we have strong and satisfied armed forces, we will have peace, and consequently the political and economic stability and we will live better - concluded Minister Vulin appearing in the morning show of the Pink television.
