Russia has completed the deliveries of the Pantsir-S1 (NATO reporting name: SA-22 Greyhound) self-propelled anti-aircraft gun-missile (SPAAGM) systems to Serbia, according to Serbian President Alexandar Vucic: "Serbia’s defense capabilities have dramatically increased. We have made up our Pantsir-S1 complex. The country’s strength has increased manifold, not just doubled," said Vucic in his address to the nation on March 3.

Pantsir-S1 (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Serbia’s head did not detail the number of the Pantsir-S1 systems that had been supplied to the country’s army. However, Belgrade is known to have purchased an SA-22 battery, which traditionally comprises six vehicles.

On October 24, 2019, Vucic said Belgrade had ordered the Pantsir-S1. The first two systems were delivered to Batajnica airbase on February 22, 2020. The Serbian crews had been trained to operate the Greyhound prior to the shipping of the first batch of the SPAAGMs to the country.

The Serbian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has also released several photos of the newly procured Pantsir-S1 SPAAGMs. According to the photos, Belgrade has received an updated Pantsir-S1 with a new radar.

Serbia has announced an intention to base the national air defense system on the Pantsir-S1. According to the Military Balance 2019 book issued by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Serbian army has deployed 86 2K12 Kub (SA-6 Gainful) self-propelled medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, six S-125 Pechora (SA-3 Goa) medium-range stationary SAM systems, 12 9K31M Strela-1M (SA-9 Gaskin) and five 9K35M Strela-10M (SA-13 Gopher) short-range air defense systems, and some 9K310 Igla-1/Silo (SA-16 Gimlet) man-portable air defense systems.

It should be mentioned that Serbia’s industry produces no SPAAGMs. The country’s largest defense industrial conglomerate, SDPR Yugoimport, manufactures only upgraded M53/59 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun armed with two 30 mm automatic cannons. Compared to the basic vehicle, the updated modification carries a computerized fire-control system.

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