Mali: First instalment for Rafale jets paid, next one due in January

BELGRADE - Serbian First Deputy PM and Finance Minister Sinisa Mali said on Wednesday Serbia had already paid the first instalment for an acquisition of French Rafale fighter jets and that the next one was due in January.

Besides funding for a large number of infrastructure development projects and other projects, there will be sufficient funds in the national budget in 2025 for the purchase of the jets, Mali told Tanjug.

"We have money in the budget for that. That is a large and important project," Mali said.

The deal, including equipment for the planes, is worth up to 3 bln euros, which Mali noted was "no small amount of money."

"But on the other hand, if you look at the fact that the Serbian Armed Forces have never been stronger than they are today, if you look at the huge amounts of money other countries in the region, in Europe and worldwide are now setting aside for military spending, that is something Serbia must do," Mali noted.

He pointed out that Serbia was not threatening anyone but merely protecting its sovereignty and independence and that the purchase of the Rafale jets was a major investment in the country's air force.

Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic told Tanjug earlier the new 4th-generation multirole Rafale fighter jets were due to start arriving in Serbia in early 2028, with operational use slated to begin in 2029.