16.04.2022.
Minister Stefanović: I am proud of the Serbian Armed Forces and the capabilities they demonstrated at exercise “Fire Shield 2022”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, who was a guest on today’s special show on the Radio Television of Serbia, said that he was proud of the Serbian Armed Forces and what they had demonstrated at the exercise "Fire Shield 2022". According to him, the Serbian Armed Forces do not have many rivals in the region.
Minister Stefanović has analyzed the results of the joint tactical live-fire exercise "Fire Shield 2022" in the RTS studio today, alongside the Third Army Brigade Commander, Colonel Dragan Antić, who was the exercise commander.
- We are analyzing the needs of our armed forces and we are talking about their future. We can no longer defend the country and use the military the way it was used back in the 1980s, 1990s or even in 2020. Today we have to think about what the military should look like in 2030, 2040 and 2050, to prepare for current challenges and consider what weapons and equipment our military, our soldiers should have, and what kind of training they should receive in the coming period in order to integrate it all. This kind of exercise is a completely new thing. Let me remind you, over the past several months, we have shown the armaments that have entered service, most of which were developed relying on the domestic intelligence. Our Military Technical Institute and local factories, as well as other Serbian companies, have made sure that our armed forces are as well-equipped as the most modern countries in the world. And people could see that at the exercise, they could see that our military are capable of doing the same thing at noon or at two o’clock in the morning - that we can see the enemy and act successfully, even in difficult conditions - said Minister Stefanović.
Speaking about the successfully conducted exercise, Minister Stefanović said that unfavourable circumstances should be kept in mind.- All the boys and girls have shown exceptional skills firing weapons in strong wind and rain on a cloudy day. You have also seen the action of our helicopters and artillery in the pitch dark. All targets were hit. I am really proud of our armed forces because they have hardly any rivals in the region – said Minister Stefanović. Responding to the TV presenter’s question about what domestic weapons would certainly enter service in the coming period, Minister Stefanović referred to a new concept.
- We are considering what else is needed for our armed forces to be even more modern and even more capable of fulfilling every task that the defence of our country entails. That means UAVs, that means robots, i.e. robotics, that means IT and artificial intelligence, electronic warfare equipment and continued modernization of weapons that are already in service. You've also seen the digitized "Oganj". I must praise our personnel and congratulate them on what has been done over the past several weeks - today we are capable of firing a missile at a distance of 40 kilometres - said Minister Stefanović.
Referring to our armaments, Minister Stefanović said that M-84 AS1 and AS2 tanks are not the same as the M-84 tank used to be fifteen years ago, nor the BOV armoured fighting vehicle. He also said that the new MRAP vehicle is now entering zero series production.
Speaking about the "Pantsir" system’s performance at the exercise, the Minister said that due to the characteristics of the "Pasuljanske Livade" firing range, not all its capabilities had been shown.
- The firing range has a limited space for the execution of exercises, so we could not show all the capabilities of the "Pantsir" system, because it is primarily an artillery and missile system that can successfully hit targets 20 to 25 km away. There are also upgraded variants that can hit more distant targets, as well as a 30 mm gun, which you could see engage aerial targets imitating helicopters and drones, so we could not fire a missile for security reasons. But that is essentially one of Pantsir’s key roles - to engage this type of aerial threats and to protect certain areas or command posts from enemy missiles and other aircraft - said Minister Stefanović.
He added that the "Kornet" missile was fired for the first time at the exercise.
- You could also see the "Kornet" and its effect at approximately 4.5 km. Its maximum range is 8 km, and it can pierce 1,200 to 1,300 mm of homogeneous armour. It is a very effective anti-tank weapon and can pierce reinforced concrete, steel and any other material, but its primary targets are tanks, which is why it is called a “tank killer” - said Minister Stefanović.
According to Colonel Dragan Antić, Third Army Brigade Commander, the joint tactical live-fire exercise "Fire Shield 2022" is one of the largest exercises conducted in the last few years.
- The combined tactical live-fire exercise "Fire Shield 2022" featured a tactical group in a defensive night operation, with almost 1,000 members participating and 100 combat systems used. We have conducted one of the largest night exercises in the last few years. By combining fire and movement, and combining all our branches and services, infantry, artillery, armoured units, air defence, aviation, etc. we have achieved the desired effects and fulfilled the assigned task resolving the situation, i.e. conducting a defensive operation, which was one of the goals of this exercise - said Colonel Antić.
Colonel Antić said that SAF members had shown readiness and determination during the exercise.
- During the exercise, all our units have shown determination and readiness to respond in a good and timely manner to all challenges, risks and threats at night. All branches and services have also shown a high level of cooperation. We have shown our ability to support the systems that are currently being developed by our defence industry, and that we can train our soldiers in a relatively short period of time to use them and perform assigned tasks using them - said Colonel Antić.
The Third Army Brigade Commander saluted members of the Serbian Armed Forces who had participated in the exercise conducted at the “Pasuljanske Livade" firing range.
- I want to salute officers, non-commissioned officers, civilians, and particularly my soldiers who left their stamp on everything you have seen at the "Pasuljanske Livade" range. The Third Army Brigade soldiers are well-trained, highly motivated, they love their profession, the military, and above all the Republic of Serbia - said Colonel Antić.
