Serbian Air Force and Air Defence

Key facts

Official Name Serbian Air Force and Air Defence
Local Name Ратно ваздухопловство и противваздухопловна одбрана (Ratno vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazduhoplovna odbrana)
Country🇷🇸 Serbia
World rank#67
Active aircrafts110 as of 2025
Aircrafts on order31
Roundel

Roundel of Serbia air force

Overview

The Serbian Air Force and Air Defence is structured as a maneuver service of the armed forces, tasked with controlling and protecting the nation's airspace, deterring aggression, and providing air defense and support to ground forces. Its core organization is built around several key formations: the 204th and 98th Air Force Brigades, the 250th Air Defence Missile Brigade, the 126th Air Surveillance, Early Warning and Guidance (ASEWG) Brigade, and various support battalions. This structure integrates combat aviation, surface-to-air missile units, and a robust radar and command network essential for territorial air defense.

Serbia's strategic doctrine is centered on maintaining national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The country's defense policy aims to build an effective, modern defense system while pursuing integration into European security structures. The air force's role within this doctrine is to act as a powerful deterrent by possessing the capability to inflict significant costs on any potential aggressor, thereby preventing surprise attacks and protecting critical infrastructure and military forces from air threats.

The Air Force is moving away from its legacy Soviet-era equipment, the most notable recent development being the agreement with France to purchase 12 Dassault Rafale F4 multirole fighter jets, a deal valued at approximately €2.7 billion. This acquisition marks a major strategic shift towards Western military technology. The first aircraft are expected to be delivered in 2028. Concurrently, Serbia has been upgrading its existing fleet of MiG-29 fighters, which were acquired from Russia and Belarus, to maintain operational capabilities in the interim. This dual approach of sustaining current assets while investing in next-generation platforms highlights a pragmatic transition strategy. Modernization also extends to the helicopter fleet and the acquisition of Chinese FK-3 air defense systems.

Origin countries of aircrafts

Country Active Aircraft
🇫🇷 France 47
🇨🇳 Ex-USSR 30
🇷🇴 Romania 17
🇳🇱 Ex-Yugoslavia 17
🇷🇸 Serbia 14
🇪🇸 Spain 2
🇮🇩 Indonesia 2

Evolution of Serbian Air Force fleet

Aircrafts by type in 2025

Aircraft type Active
Combat Combat 47
Helicopter Helicopter 46
Training Training 14
Transport Transport 3

Full inventory in 2025

Serbian Air Force

Aircraft Type Model Origin Country Model Year Active 𝚫 YoY Ordered
CombatCombat J-22 🇷🇴 🇳🇱 1977 17
0
0
CombatCombat G-4 🇫🇷 16
-4
0
CombatCombat MiG-29 🇨🇳 2009 14
0
0
CombatCombat Rafale 🇫🇷 2001 0
0
12
HelicopterHelicopter SA341/342 🇫🇷 1971 25
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter Mi-8/17 🇨🇳 1967 11
+1
0
HelicopterHelicopter H145 🇫🇷 2002 6
+6
8
HelicopterHelicopter Mi-35 🇨🇳 1972 4
0
11
TransportTransport C295 🇪🇸 🇮🇩 2001 2
+1
0
TransportTransport An-26 🇨🇳 1969 1
0
0
TrainingTraining Lasta 95 🇷🇸 2010 14
0
0
Various public data, including Wikipedia, Flightglobal.com, SIPRI Arms Transfer and official government websites.