NATO-partner serbia admits buying Chinese missiles after photos leaked

Serbia Confirms Chinese Missile Acquisition Amid NATO and EU Tensions

Serbia's Strategic Military Procurement and Geopolitical Balancing

Serbia Becomes First European Operator of Chinese CM-400AKG Missiles

BELGRADE, March 13 (Reuters) - Serbia recently purchased Chinese CM-400AKG air-to-surface ballistic missiles for its air force, becoming the weapon's first European operator, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said late on Thursday.

Geopolitical Context: Balancing NATO, EU, Russia, and China

Serbia is striving to balance its partnership with NATO and aspirations to join the European Union with its centuries-old religious, ethnic and political alliance with Russia and strategic ties with China, a major investor. 

Presidential Statement and Missile Integration

"We have a significant number of those missiles, and we will have even more," Vucic said in a live broadcast by Serbia's state RTS TV, days after the first images of the missiles mounted on a Serbian plane leaked online. 

Vucic said the Serbian air force had adapted its Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets to carry the CM-400AKG.

Regional Reactions and Security Concerns

Croatia - an EU and NATO member, and Serbia's foe during the wars of the 1990s - has criticised the missile purchase as a threat to regional stability, an attempt to alter the military balance, and a sign of a growing arms race in the Balkans.

About the CM-400AKG Missile

Technical Specifications

The CM-400AKG, manufactured by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), is a supersonic air-to-surface ballistic missile. It can carry either a 150 kg (330 lb) blast warhead or a 200 kg (440 lb) penetrator warhead and has a range of up to 400 km (248 miles). 

Combat History

It saw its first combat use during the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict, when Pakistan's air force targeted an Indian S-400 air defence system.

Financial and Strategic Aspects of the Acquisition

Cost and Military Spending

Vucic declined to disclose the price Serbia paid for the missiles, saying only it received a "slight discount".

Serbia has allocated around 2.6% of its GDP for military expenditures this year.  

Recent Military Purchases

Chinese and Western Defense Systems

In recent times, Serbia has purchased the FK-3 surface-to-air defence system - similar to Russia's S-300 or the U.S. Patriot system - and CH-92A combat drones from China, while at the same time buying 12 new Rafale fighter jets from France's Dassault along with helicopters and cargo planes from Airbus. 

(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Kevin Buckland)