Serbia completes fielding of Chinese air-defense system

MILAN — Serbian defense authorities announced that the Chinese-made FK-3 air defense systems are now in service with the Serbian Air Force, marking a success for Beijing, which has sought out to expand its presence further within the Balkan country in recent years.

The 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade division has been equipped with the anti-aircraft missile system, which consists of vehicles with a command center as well as missile launchers and radars, the Serbian defense ministry said in a Dec. 30 statement.

According to the release, the FK-3, the export variant of China’s HQ-22 surface-to-air missile system, can target aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, drones and air-to-ground missiles flying at maximum speeds of 1,000m/s across distances ranging up to 100 kilometers.

The initial deal signed between the Serbian government and the manufacturer China Aerospace Science & Industry Corporation, or CASIC, was significant when it was made public in 2020, as it represented the first purchase of a Chinese medium- to long-range air defense shield by a country on the European continent.

At the time, the United States warned that striking deals with Beijing may put Serbia’s proclaimed objective of becoming a member of the European Union at risk.

“Procuring military equipment is a sovereign decision – however, governments should understand the short- and long-term risks and costs involved in doing business with Chinese companies and procurement choices should reflect Serbia’s stated policy goal of greater European integration,” the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade said in a statement in 2020.

Serbia represents an ambiguous case in Europe stemming primarily from its decision to adopt a policy of military neutrality. This has allowed the country to preserve ties to two of the West’s most prominent foes, Russia and China, while also striking deals with countries such as France for Rafale fighter jets.

During a panel organized at the Globsec security conference in Prague last August, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said it was unlikely that his country would join the EU in 2028, a target other western Balkan states have set out.

While Serbia is bordered by five NATO members, and the military alliance has a liaison office in Belgrade, Vucic has made it clear that he has no plans to apply for membership.

At the Serbian government-sponsored Partner defense exhibition held in Belgrade in 2023, where a handful of Chinese defense firms exhibited for the first time, several manufacturers told Defense News that they had an “obvious interest” to further expand their activities in the country.

Serbia previously became the first operator of Chinese drones in Europe when it acquired the Chinese CH-92 and CH-95 unmanned aerial vehicles, publicly displayed for the first time five years ago.

Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo was a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.

米兰——塞尔维亚国防部宣布，中国制造的FK-3防空系统现已在塞尔维亚空军服役，这标志着北京取得了成功。近年来，中国一直寻求进一步扩大其在巴尔干国家的影响力。

塞尔维亚国防部在12月30日的一份声明中表示，第250防空导弹旅师已装备防空导弹系统，该系统由带有指挥中心的车辆以及导弹发射器和雷达组成。

根据新闻稿，FK-3是中国HQ-22地对空导弹系统的出口型，可以打击飞行速度最高为1000米/秒、射程达100公里的飞机、直升机、巡航导弹、无人机和空地导弹。

塞尔维亚政府与中国航天科学工业集团公司（简称“中空科工”）签署的首份协议在 2020 年公开时意义重大，因为它标志着欧洲大陆国家首次购买中国制造的中远程防空系统。

当时，美国警告说，与北京达成协议可能会危及塞尔维亚加入欧盟的既定目标。

“采购军事装备是一项主权决定——但是，各国政府应该了解与中国公司做生意所涉及的短期和长期风险和成本，采购选择应该反映塞尔维亚明确提出的加强欧洲一体化的政策目标，”美国驻贝尔格莱德大使馆在2020年的一份声明中表示。

塞尔维亚在欧洲的情况比较复杂，这主要源于其奉行军事中立政策的决定。这使得塞尔维亚既能与西方两大劲敌俄罗斯和中国保持联系，又能与法国等国达成购买“阵风”战斗机的交易。

去年八月在布拉格举行的全球安全会议 (Globsec) 的一个小组讨论会上，塞尔维亚总统亚历山大·武契奇表示，他的国家不太可能在 2028 年加入欧盟，而其他西巴尔干国家已经设定了这一目标。

尽管塞尔维亚与五个北约成员国接壤，而且北约在贝尔格莱德设有联络处，但武契奇已明确表示，他没有申请加入北约的计划。

在2023年于贝尔格莱德举行的由塞尔维亚政府赞助的“伙伴”防务展览会上，一些中国国防企业首次参展，几家制造商告诉《防务新闻》，他们对进一步扩大在该国的业务“显然很感兴趣”。

塞尔维亚此前成为欧洲第一个使用中国无人机的国家，它购买了中国 CH-92 和 CH-95 无人机，这些无人机于五年前首次公开亮相。

伊丽莎白·戈斯林-马洛曾任《防务新闻》欧洲通讯员。她的报道涵盖军事采购和国际安全等广泛领域，尤其擅长航空领域的报道。她常驻意大利米兰。