19.11.2019.

Minister Vulin: For the first time since the 1950s, an engineering unit is equipped with new assets

Defence minister Aleksandar Vulin, accompanied by deputy chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces Major General Petar Cvetković, have visited today the 210th Engineer Battalion of the 2nd Army Brigade in the Ribnica barracks in Kraljevo, where he attended a presentation of engineering assets received from the Chinese donation to the Serbian Armed Forces and for a part of the training involving members of that unit.

After the visit to the technical park and demonstration of the training, minister Vulin pointed out that the technical reception of the assets received from the donation of the People's Republic of China is ending today.

- It is with great pleasure that I have to say that for the first time since the fifties, we have an engineering unit equipped with brand new assets that meet the highest world standards. Investing in the Armed Forces is an investment in the quality of life for each of us. Thanks to this donation, thanks to these assets we have, we will be able to assist the civilian population more, we will be able to pave the roads, to build bridges; we will be able to solve the problems that local governments and our citizens have. Every investment in the Serbian Armed Forces pays off, and every investment in the Serbian Armed Forces improves the quality of life of each of us – minister Vulin pointed out.

According to the minister of defence, a successful and developed Serbian Armed Forces is a guarantor of our country's peace and a guarantor of our country's development potential.

- The army is made up of materiel, but it is also made up of people who need to be satisfied, who need to be safe. That is why every increase in salaries and every investment in our equipment, as well as every investment in the standard of living of the members of the Serbian Armed Forces, guarantees that we will have a stronger and better Serbia – minister Vulin said.

The People's Republic of China donated 40 assets to the Serbian Armed Forces, including self-propelled engineering machines, motor vehicles, integral means of transport and special vehicles.

As the deputy commander of the 210th Engineer Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Slavko Prodanović, pointed out, the donation of the People's Republic of China in the engineering machinery that the battalion received was very significant.

- The machines have exceptional performance compared to the machines we had; the new machines have very good characteristics, which will improve operational capabilities, make it easier for everyone, from operators, soldiers, to a complete unit, to be able to perform much more difficult and complex tasks than before – Lieutenant Colonel Prodanović said, adding that these are heavy-duty machines, including excavators, loaders, tracked dozers, wheeled dozers, as well as machines for fine and protective work such as graders and rollers, but also special vehicles that serve to transport those machines and carry cargo.

Today, at Ribnica barracks, part of the training has also been demonstrated, and commander of the 210th Engineer Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Damir Novoselac pointed out that the training activity that was demonstrated at the training ground was the content of engineering training of pioneer specialty in making and clearing minefields, as well as the destruction of elements and materials.

- Furthermore, a presentation of the contents of the training activity of road-bridge specialty was carried out, within which a 20-meter artificial barrier was overcome with the help of the KRAZ 255 pontoon bridge layer – Lieutenant Colonel Novoselac pointed out.

One of the machines that have been shown today will be operated in the forthcoming period by Private First Class Vladimir Milovanović, a grader operator in the 210th Engineer Battalion of the 2nd Brigade.

- I have been working on machines like this for ten years, from the very beginning in this unit. With the donation from the People's Republic of China, we got new Liu Gong machines that are much better than our old machines and offer very good working conditions – air-conditioned cabins, better performance when it comes to the working position of the machines compared to older machines – Private First Class Milovanović emphasized, adding that all this will facilitate the work of the unit in the future.

Today's visit was also attended by deputy commander of the Army, Brigadier General Vladeta Baltić and commander of the 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General Željko Kuzmanović.