28.07.2022.
Minister Stefanović: New step towards technological progress of our Armed Forces
Today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, attended tests carried out on the weapons and military equipment that are being developed by the Serbian defence industry, and tests seeking to try out the use of the “Pegasus” remotely-piloted aircraft and portable reconnaissance assets. The tests were conducted at the Pasuljanske Livade testing range.
- This range firing, featuring coordination between UAVs, drones and artillery, was successful, and we have shown that, together with our partners, we have created conditions for the production of the “Pegasus”. We have made significant technological progress and we will soon be able to boast of being among the world’s most developed armed forces in this field – said Minister Stefanović after today’s tests.
Alongside the minister, the tests were attended by Assistant Minister for Material Resources, Nenad Miloradović, PhD, Head of the Defence Minister’s Office, Colonel Stevan Kotarlić, Head of the Defence Technologies Department, Colonel Slavko Rakić, and Director of the Military Technical Institute, Colonel Bojan Pavković.
- We could see how UAVs are used for artillery fire control and fire adjustment, but we could also see that we have made such great progress in technological sense that now we can engage targets at much greater distances, at 40 km, using UAVs to successfully track targets and calculate coordinates, so that artillerymen can accurately and successfully hit those targets without any other help. For the first time we could see the "Pegasus" unmanned aerial vehicle fire, showing that, together with our partners, we have created conditions for its production and I hope that this year it will go into serial production, which will significantly enhance our defence capabilities - said Minister Stefanović.
Today, the Minister of Defence also observed firing with our modernized M-84 AS2 tank and the PASARS, which successfully hit each of the moving targets right in the centre.- What lies ahead is crew training, so that we can utilize the new technological capabilities, but I would like to thank the people at the Material Resources Sector, Military Technical Institute, 2nd Army Brigade and everyone else who has taken part in this, because it is evident that we have made a new step towards technological progress and that we will soon be able to boast of being among the world’s most developed armed forces in this field – said Minister Stefanović.
Tests carried out today at the testing range were designed to examine live firing with the "Pegasus" unmanned aerial vehicle armed with laser-guided missiles and long range firing at moving targets using the M-84 AS2 tank. Tests were also conducted on the new fire control system integrated into PASARS used for engaging targets on the ground, the new 3M/30 "Lazar" armoured fighting vehicle, as well as long-range shooting delivered by sniper pairs using the newly developed 12.7 mm long-range rifle and the .338 Lapua Magnum sniper rifle aided by additional equipment intended for making fine adjustments to the aiming point.