Partner 2025 Day 1: Serbia Unveils Top Defense Innovations in Belgrade.

Serbia unveiled new combat vehicles and artillery systems at the Partner 2025 defense expo in Belgrade on September 23, 2025. The event highlights the country’s growing role in global arms markets and military innovation.

The Serbian Ministry of Defense officially opened the Partner 2025 defense exhibition in Belgrade on September 23, with Army Recognition providing live coverage from Day 1. Organized in collaboration with Yugoimport SDPR, the event showcased Serbia’s latest defense technologies and modernized combat systems, underscoring its ambitions to enhance domestic military production and strengthen international defense partnerships.
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Serbian defense industry showcases its latest generation of combat vehicles, artillery systems, and unmanned platforms during the official unveiling at Partner 2025 in Belgrade, signaling a bold leap in indigenous military innovation and export ambitions. (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)

One of the most prominent displays on the show floor is the modernized version of the Russian-designed BTR-80A 8x8 armored personnel carrier, now upgraded by Serbian industry with significant indigenous enhancements. While the original turret with the 30mm 2A72 autocannon remains intact, the vehicle benefits from a fully digitized communication suite, modernized targeting systems, and modular armor packages that increase crew survivability. The upgraded drivetrain and electronics aim to extend the platform’s operational relevance, particularly in urban and hybrid warfare environments where maneuverability and real-time battlefield awareness are crucial.

Serbia also used the exhibition to reveal the new NORA B-39, a 152mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer designed for legacy artillery users operating within the former Warsaw Pact ecosystem. Built on a robust 6x6 military truck chassis, the B-39 does not feature an automatic loading system, but instead stores 18 rounds and their charges in external ammunition boxes mounted along the sides of the vehicle. The system is manually operated by a reduced crew and is optimized for rapid deployment and sustained fire missions. Capable of reaching targets at up to 30.7 kilometers using extended-range rounds, the B-39 bridges the gap between cost-effective artillery modernization and advanced NATO-compatible fire control integration.

Breaking new ground in high-caliber indirect fire support, the Serbian defense industry introduced the TSMB, a 203mm self-propelled mortar carrier mounted on a FAP 2026 6x6 light military truck. The system is based on a heavily modified version of the M-65 towed howitzer, with a new extended barrel and recoil mitigation system that allows for mobile, high-angle fire support. With a maximum firing range of 12.5 kilometers, the TSMB offers area saturation capability against fortified positions and troop concentrations. Its configuration on a wheeled platform allows rapid repositioning, reinforcing Serbia’s focus on tactical flexibility and terrain adaptability for regional operations.

The most significant advances in unmanned warfare came with the full unveiling of the Milosh family of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), now showcased in combat-ready configurations. The Milosh V1 and V2 variants are both armed with a machine gun and anti-tank rocket launchers, explicitly designed to engage enemy armor and infantry formations on the frontline. With enhanced armor protection, day/night electro-optical sights, and remote control operation, these UGVs can support mechanized units in high-threat environments while keeping operators safely behind the line of contact. Both variants offer semi-autonomous waypoint navigation and encrypted communications for swarm operations.

A third variant, the Milosh L, has been introduced as a logistics and support platform. Optimized for cargo transport and casualty evacuation in contested areas, the Milosh L operates with a lower profile, extended range, and high payload capacity. It is aimed at increasing operational sustainability for light infantry and special operations units operating beyond traditional supply lines.

Among the newly weaponized light tactical platforms, a Serbian-designed Isuzu 4x4 vehicle now carries a containerized vertical launcher system equipped with four ready-to-fire Hornet loitering munitions. These tube-launched drones, operated with real-time video feedback and man-in-the-loop targeting, offer a highly mobile precision strike capability for neutralizing enemy armor, command posts, or artillery positions. With rapid deployability and minimal signature, the system exemplifies Serbia’s pivot toward asymmetric and network-enabled strike capabilities.

Partner 2025 Day 1 clearly illustrates the Serbian defense industry’s transition from licensed production to full-spectrum system development, including indigenous fire support platforms, unmanned vehicles, and loitering munitions. With a focus on modularity, export flexibility, and frontline applicability, Serbia is positioning itself as a serious player in the evolving European and non-aligned defense markets.

Army Recognition will continue live coverage throughout Partner 2025, delivering exclusive interviews, technical analyses, and high-resolution visuals direct from the exhibition floor in Belgrade.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.