Serbian aircraft manufacturer Utva will become part of the Rafale fighter’s international supply chain.
Serbia’s Utva aviation factory will manufacture a section of the gun system installed on France’s Rafale multirole fighter aircraft, with components destined for aircraft operated by the French Air Force and international customers, according to Serbian public broadcaster RTS.
In a statement to Serbian public broadcaster RTS, Petar Vojinović, editor of aviation portal Tango Six, explained: “From then on, all Rafales produced and exported, both for the French Air Force and for global customers, will have something that is, so to speak, manufactured at Utva in Pančevo.”
The industrial cooperation also includes access to advanced engineering design software, which could have applications beyond the aerospace sector. The agreement forms part of broader cooperation linked to Serbia’s procurement of 12 Rafale aircraft from France’s Dassault Aviation.
Commenting on the aircraft’s military role, Vojinović said: “Airspace protection is one of the secondary roles, but very specifically, in the case of multirole fighter aircraft, their offensive role is very important, primarily in the context of deterrence.”
The project marks a step towards integrating Serbian manufacturing capabilities into an international combat aircraft programme, while providing opportunities for technology transfer and further industrial cooperation with France.
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