【Wen / Observer Net, Xiong Chaoran】After Serbian media first disclosed photos of the missiles mounted on the country's fighter jets, Serbian President Vučić also confirmed it.
On March 12 local time, Vučić said in a live program on Serbian Radio Television (RTS) that Serbia has recently purchased China's CM-400AKG air-to-surface ballistic missiles for its air force, becoming the first user of this type of weapon in Europe.
"We have already acquired a considerable number of such missiles, and we will have even more in the future," Vučić revealed, stating that the Serbian Air Force has modified its Soviet-made MiG-29 fighters to be able to carry the CM-400AKG missiles.
According to the report, Vučić refused to disclose the specific amount paid by Serbia for purchasing these missiles, but stated that Serbia received a "slight discount".
Photos from social media initially showed that the Serbian Air Force's MiG-29SM+ aircraft with serial number 18205 had two CM-400AKG air-to-ground missiles mounted under its wings. Social Media
It is introduced that the CM-400AKG missile was developed and produced by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), a supersonic air-to-surface ballistic missile. This missile can carry a 150 kg explosive warhead or a 200 kg penetration warhead, with a maximum range of up to 400 kilometers.
Currently, this missile is one of the main ground attack munitions for the Pakistan Air Force's JF-17 "Thunder" fighter jet (known as "Jianglong" in China).
Reuters mentioned that this missile saw its first practical application in last year's India-Pakistan conflict, when the Pakistan Air Force used it to strike India's S-400 air defense system.
The report pointed out that Serbia is currently striving to maintain a balance between: on one hand, its partnership with NATO and its desire to join the EU; on the other hand, its long-standing religious, ethnic, and political alliance with Russia, as well as the strategic ties established with its major investor, China.
As an EU and NATO member state, as well as a country that was an opponent of Serbia during the war in the late 1990s, Croatia is dissatisfied with this missile purchase, claiming that Serbia's move "threatens regional stability", attempts to change the military balance, and shows that the arms race in the Balkans is intensifying.
A photo from the 2013 Dubai Air Show showing the CM-400AKG air-to-ground missile displayed alongside the Pakistan Air Force's JF-17 fighter jet. Archive Photo
This year, Serbia has allocated about 2.6% of its GDP for military spending.
Recently, Serbia has purchased the FK-3 air defense system from China, which is similar to the Russian S-300 system or the American "Patriot" system, as well as the CH-92A reconnaissance and strike UAV; at the same time, Serbia also ordered 12 new "Rafale" fighter jets from France's Dassault company, and purchased helicopters and transport aircraft from Airbus.
Previously, according to a report by the Serbian aviation news website Tango Six (T6) on March 9 local time, Serbia has already possessed "supersonic quasi-ballistic missiles with a range of at least 250 kilometers".
The report states that the missile is indeed the Chinese-made CM-400AKG air-to-ground missile, a "aircraft weapon not possessed by the armies of neighboring countries" with similar speed and range. The photo cited by the report shows that the Serbian Air Force and air defense forces' MiG-29SM+ aircraft are carrying two of these missiles while in flight.
As early as February 16, T6 website reported that Serbian President Vučić said, "People could never imagine what our (Serbian) armed forces could obtain and possess," while the Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Milan Mijailović, told the media, "The Serbian Air Force will have weapons with a maximum range of 300 kilometers."
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Original: toutiao.com/article/7616956362766516776/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.