The Serbian army conducted exercises of unprecedented scale
More than 2800 Serbian army personnel, more than 150 combat and non-combat vehicles and systems and about 40 aircraft took part in the exercise “Sadestvo 2020” (Assistance) at the temporary training ground “Peshter” in Serbia.
The exercise was observed by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Prime Minister Anna Brnabic, Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulic, Serbian member of the BiH Presidency Milorad Dodik and President of Republika Srpska Zeljka Cvijanovic.
According to a PolitNavigator correspondent, the exercises involved the use of new military equipment, which for the first time showed themselves in such conditions, close to combat. The Assistance 2020 exercises worked out the following scenario: two large enemy battle groups invaded the territory of Serbia, where they established a foothold until the main forces arrived. The task of the Serbian army was to drive the enemy out of its territory before help arrived.
The task began with the actions of air defense missiles to destroy enemy aircraft and achieve superiority in airspace to create favorable conditions for an attack. In carrying out these tasks, Russian-made PASARS and Pantsir air defense artillery batteries, as well as a missile compartment, were used, and the observation, interception and targeting of targets was carried out by the modernized Giraffe radar system.
After achieving air superiority, reconnaissance of enemy positions was carried out using TsKh-92, Vrabac drones and the AR 100-Ts drone. Next, the combat group began to carry out the assigned task using Russian-made armored reconnaissance vehicles BRDM-2MS. Reconnaissance was also carried out using the MIP-3 multi-sensor reconnaissance platform on the BOV KIV combat vehicle. Next, the MiG-29, modernized in Russia, was thrown into battle and entered into close combat with the enemy, completing the task of protecting strike groups of fighter-bombers. In turn, the latter, represented by modernized ORAO fighter-bombers, worked in several groups on enemy positions.
Further, the success of aviation was secured by a powerful fire attack of Russian-made self-propelled artillery 155 mm Nora-B52 batteries, self-propelled howitzer 122 mm batteries, a reinforced battery of modernized and homing missiles of self-propelled multi-discharge 128 mm launchers, a multi-purpose MORAVA missile launcher, a modular multi-purpose launcher "OGAN" M-18 and 120 mm mortars. Given the variety of calibers of artillery and missile guns, guided portable surveillance equipment (UPAOS) and universal portable artillery-computer stations (UPARS) were used to coordinate their actions.
Next, fighter aircraft and combat helicopters entered the battle. First, the MiG-8 hit ground targets with S-29 missiles, then the SOKO G-4 “Super Galeb” aviation group entered the battle, destroying enemy air defenses. Then came the attack helicopters. Ground targets were attacked by Russian Mi-35s using armed radio-controlled missiles. Then Mi-17V5 helicopters armed with S-8 unguided missiles operated, followed by the GAMA helicopter.
Afterwards, ground troops joined the attack, moving with the help of modernized M80 AB-1 BVP with the Polo M-83 anti-tank weapon, Lazar-3 armored cars, and modernized M-84AS-1 and M-84 tanks. At the same time, the attack was covered by the KUB missile system that controlled the airspace.
The ground attack was strengthened by the landing of paratroopers, who were dropped from a height of three thousand meters by the An-26 to clear out the remaining enemy forces. At the same time, fighters from the 72nd brigade began clearing the area in Milos armored vehicles. The other part of the fighters were delivered by helicopters and dropped onto the area along with “Mali Milos” (Small Milos) armored vehicles. The special forces who took part in the cleanup were armed and equipped with 26 different types of weapons and military equipment.
“You saw a landing of paratroopers from a helicopter, carried out in a confined space, as well as two rows of tanks performing live fire one after another,” noted Aleksandar Vucic. “These are some of the things we have never done, like the use of MiG-29 air-to-ground missiles. For the first time, you saw how the “Shell” works, how PSARs work.
Today there were many weapons and equipment that were presented for the first time. This is a good army, ready, able and trained to save our country in case anyone thinks of attacking it. We are strengthening our army to deter the aggressor from attacking. We do not want and do not think about waging any aggressive conflicts or participating in them.”
In turn, the Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Army, Milan Mojsilovich, noted that such large-scale exercises were not carried out even during the times of the Yugoslav People's Army.
But even during such excellent exercises, representatives of the liberal media were not without tricky questions, in particular, the president was asked whether the temporary training ground “Peshter”, located near the settlement where Serbian Bosniaks live, was chosen as the location for the exercise.
“Regardless of nationality and religion, the Serbian army belongs equally to Serbs, Bosniaks, Hungarians, Romanians, Slovaks, Rusyns, Croats, Gypsies and everyone else. This is their army, which helped when it was hardest, and during the epidemic too. This is an army that will guard their homes and will never put them in danger. I want everyone to know about this. Nothing is directed against the Bosniaks. Every normal person, every Bosniak rejoices at the successes of his country and knows that it will be easier and better for him,” said the President of Serbia.
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