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Serbia opens Israeli drone assembly plant - Finance news and analysis from Global Banking & Finance Review
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Serbia opens Israeli drone assembly plant

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on September 17, 2026

1 min read

· Last updated: September 17, 2026

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Serbia Launches Israeli Drone Assembly Plant Aiming at Defense Exports

Serbia Opens Advanced Drone Factory in Partnership with Israel

Factory Launch and Purpose

Sept 17 (Reuters) - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday that Serbia had opened a factory to assemble advanced Israeli-made drones, which will supply the Serbian military and armed forces in other countries.

Key Features of the Plant

  • Plant to assemble "state-of-the-art" Israeli-designed drones, he said in a post on Instagram.
  • Facility to employ around 100 workers.

Expansion Plans

The government and its Israeli partners expect to open at least three more factories across the country, he added.

Confidentiality and Media Access
  • Journalists were not invited to visit the facility due to the confidentiality of the production process.
  • Vucic released only limited footage of the facility, saying the public would be impressed by what was being produced there.

Reporting Credits

(Reporting by Antonis Pothitos; Editing by Joe Bavier)

Key Takeaways

  • Serbia opened its first Israeli-designed drone assembly factory at Simanovci, expected to employ ~100 workers and supply its military and others (apnews.com).
  • The joint venture is majority-owned by Israel’s Elbit Systems (51 %) with state arms firm SDPR holding 49 %, marking a major deepening of defence ties (srpske.rs).
  • The partnership builds on a broader $1.6 billion, five‑year deal for drones, long‑range missiles, and electronic warfare systems, and signals both military modernization and knowledge transfer ambitions (calcalistech.com).

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What did the Serbian President announce regarding the drone plant?
President Aleksandar Vucic announced the opening of a factory assembling advanced Israeli-designed drones for the Serbian military and export.
How many workers will the new drone assembly facility employ?
The facility is expected to employ around 100 workers.
Are there plans for more drone assembly plants in Serbia?
Yes, the government and its Israeli partners expect to open at least three more factories across the country.
Why were journalists not invited to the facility opening?
Journalists were not invited due to the confidential nature of the drone production process.
Will the new Israeli drones only supply the Serbian military?
No, the drones will supply both the Serbian military and armed forces in other countries.

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