Defence Turkey:How do you assess the relationship between Turkey and Serbia in terms of Military cooperation
Relations between the two countries are defined in the agreements signed at the level of bilateral military cooperation. In the past few years the Agreement on military -scientific and military-technical cooperation has been signed with Republic of Turkey. Agreements on cooperation in the defense industry and the Agreement on Protection of confidential information and materials, was signed in May 2009. Since the two countries have common history they signed the Protocol on Cooperation in the fields of military history and strategy, military museology and publishing.
On the basis of agreements and protocols bilateral military cooperation plans are signed annually. For example in 2010. year ten (of twelve) planned activities were implemented. A high percentage of realization can be commented that the cooperation with the Republic of Turkey is on very good level, with the trend of further development. Most important fields of cooperation include joint military exercises, military-economic cooperation, education and training and regional security and integration initiatives.
As for cooperation at the military level, in 2010 the joint exercise was carried out by special units of the Serbian and Turkish Armed Forces in Pancevo, Serbia. Republic of Turkey implemented a number of courses in which the representatives of MoD and SAF participated. Turkish Center for Excellence in Ankara has organized "The fight against terrorism" course in Belgrade which was attended by 40 members of the MOD and SAF.
Undersecretary of the Turkish Ministry of Defense LTG Ahmet Turmus paid an official visit to Serbia from 23 to 26 June 2010 and attended the closing exercise of cadets of the Military Academy "Graduate 2010".
Visit of the Serbian MOD delegation in March 2011 represents the return visit to the Undersecretariat for the military industry of the Turkish MOD with a tour of some of the leading manufacturers of weapons and military equipment.
In contact with the Undersecretariat, both sides expressed a sincere desire for joint development of defense equipment and need for business cooperation. This desire is concretized by signing a Memorandum of Understanding of Serbian defense companies with enterprise MKEK.
Many business aspects of companies from R&D sector were taken into consideration under so-called technology parks and some applications of such business model in the Republic of Serbia.
The possibilities of cooperation with airlines TAI were also considered, and the level of technological development and product characteristics of Roketsan company as well.
This year we will keep on our bilateral relations, especially in the area of military-economic cooperation. Two visits in 2011 are planned - attendance to the International Fair of weapons and military equipment "IDEF 2011" and to "PARTNER "2011', Belgrade. Also, we expect to make concrete forms of cooperation between the two defense industries, according to the signed memorandum.

Defence Turkey:Could you please inform us about the current projects carried out, ongoing programs, modernization operations?

The activities of the Ministry of Defense Republic of Serbia are primarily focused on research and development of weapons and military equipment (WME) as high-technological products. This objective has been successfully accomplished. During 60 years Defense Industry of Serbia implemented over 1000 WME items in Yugoslav and Serbian Armed Forces. Beside mention export of many of WME is significantly success.

For example, we can mention missile and rocket systems, such as ground-to-ground, anti aircraft, air-to-air and air-to-ground systems.

The most important newest result is short range anti tank missile „BUMBLE-BEE“. The request was how to find the resources for operations in urban conditions. With tandem hollow charge war head that it is possible to destroy homogenous steel armored plate and explosive reacting amour shield up to 900 mm.

Other interesting activities are successfully performed in the area of combat and non combat vehicles - upgrading and modernization of existing combat vehicles and tanks, through improving fire power (new turrets and remote controlled weapon station- RCWS), protection and maneuverability (ballistic composite plates, power pack with 1200 hp), modification of communication equipment in combat vehicles with implantation of C4I, also conversion of existing combat vehicles into different purpose vehicle, non-combat vehicles development of “off road vehicles” through defining conception and technical solutions, by upgrading of existing non – combat vehicles to bring into accord with current regular.

New generation off-road vehicles for the Serbian Army are being developed by the domestic companies ZASTAVA KAMIONI- Kragujevac and FAP – Priboj.
For equipping the Army of Republic of Serbia are being developed off-road vehicles which can carry off-road payloads up to 1,4 tons 4x4 tons, 4 tons 4x4, 7 tons 6x6 and 10 tons 8x8.
All of these vehicles will be provided with permanent all wheel – drive system, possibility of differential locking, central tire inflation system or „run flat“inserts. These vehicles were designed for extreme hard off-road conditions in the temperature range from -30 to +50°C.

Basic activities in the area of aeronautical systems are R&D and design of aircrafts; electro and electronic devices and systems, flight equipment and aircraft weaponry within anti aircraft defense systems, main activities concern modernization of existing radar systems and missile anti-aircraft defense systems.

The most significant current project is basic training aircrafts LASTA.
LASTA is piston engines governed plane, developed and produces for purpose of pilot’s basic training. With quality avionics it is possible to fulfill request for advance training. In design of plane FAA regulations and rules for acrobatic planes was fully implemented
Defence Turkey:Could you please enlighten us the defence industry capabilities and products of Serbia?
Defence industry of Serbia is consisted of companies which manufacture and assemble weapons and military equipment, cooperating-service companies, scientific institutions, institutes and laboratories.
The current defence industry complex is consisted of:
 Ten state-owned companies: Yugoimport SDPR, Zastava oružje, Prvi Partizan, Sloboda, Milan Blagojević, Krušik, Prva Iskra, UTVA, Prva Petoletka and Teleoptik Ziroskopi employing approximately 10,000 employees,
 Forty private owned companies for production armament and military equipment employing approximately 3.600 employees.
The required capacities for the production of weapons and military equipment are defined by the Ministry of Defence. Manufacturers are not orientated solely towards fulfilling the domestic needs but also towards entering into the world market. The fact is that the Serbian defence industry is capable of achieving a high quality of production and that its presence on the world market stimulates further economic development, integration into the global market creates greater possibilities for the sale of our products. In this context, integration presupposes a creative and radical reprogramming of the defence industry through various forms of military, scientific-technical and economic cooperation.
Research and development programmes are conducted by the Military Technical Institute, the Technical Test Centre, in cooperation with other scientific institutions in our country and abroad. Apart from research work, a necessary and important factor for the accomplishment of tasks is the development work in defence industry companies.
In the development of the defence industry, the focus are on: production of armaments and military equipment in domestic companies, engaging the production capacities for maintenance and repair, improving research and development capacities, increasing production programmes and productivity, and operating in a fiscally responsible manner.
The priorities in the programme orientation of defence industry companies are achieving of modern information and design technologies, development and production of new firearms and artillery weapons, all types of ammunition and some types of missiles, as well as the modification and modernisation of armoured vehicles, aircraft used for training purposes and unmanned aircraft.
For the purpose of development of new technologies subject to the control of the security system, the defence industry follows and stimulates the development of new technologies in the civilian sector that are of importance for the manufacturing of armaments and military equipment and possess a respectable potential and vitality
Defence Turkey:Defence industry of Serbia is consisted of companies which manufacture and assemble weapons and military equipment, cooperating-service companies, scientific institutions, institutes and laboratories.
The current defence industry complex is consisted of:
 Ten state-owned companies: Yugoimport SDPR, Zastava oružje, Prvi Partizan, Sloboda, Milan Blagojević, Krušik, Prva Iskra, UTVA, Prva Petoletka and Teleoptik Ziroskopi employing approximately 10,000 employees,
 Forty private owned companies for production armament and military equipment employing approximately 3.600 employees.
The required capacities for the production of weapons and military equipment are defined by the Ministry of Defence. Manufacturers are not orientated solely towards fulfilling the domestic needs but also towards entering into the world market. The fact is that the Serbian defence industry is capable of achieving a high quality of production and that its presence on the world market stimulates further economic development, integration into the global market creates greater possibilities for the sale of our products. In this context, integration presupposes a creative and radical reprogramming of the defence industry through various forms of military, scientific-technical and economic cooperation.
Research and development programmes are conducted by the Military Technical Institute, the Technical Test Centre, in cooperation with other scientific institutions in our country and abroad. Apart from research work, a necessary and important factor for the accomplishment of tasks is the development work in defence industry companies.
In the development of the defence industry, the focus are on: production of armaments and military equipment in domestic companies, engaging the production capacities for maintenance and repair, improving research and development capacities, increasing production programmes and productivity, and operating in a fiscally responsible manner.
The priorities in the programme orientation of defence industry companies are achieving of modern information and design technologies, development and production of new firearms and artillery weapons, all types of ammunition and some types of missiles, as well as the modification and modernisation of armoured vehicles, aircraft used for training purposes and unmanned aircraft.
For the purpose of development of new technologies subject to the control of the security system, the defence industry follows and stimulates the development of new technologies in the civilian sector that are of importance for the manufacturing of armaments and military equipment and possess a respectable potential and vitality
Defence Turkey:7. Are there any other activities that you have performed or cooperated with Turkish Defense Industry companies?

I would like to admit very successful cooperation between Military technical institute of MoD Serbia and Turkish company Roketsan. Two contracts were realized and one is in the progress. All contracts are related to design, manufacture and testing of models in the trisonic wind tunnel T-38.
Defence Turkey:8. What is your strategy and plans for coming 10 years?

The defense system will make a significant contribution to the process of European integration of Serbia. Our plans and strategies could be defined through the following priorities:

 Work on the further professionalization,
 Greater involvement in peacekeeping missions (EU, UN),
 Modernization and equipping (within the existing possibilities),
 Active participation in the activities of the Partnership for Peace,
 Regional cooperation strengthening,
 The intensification of bilateral military cooperation,
 Education and training of the MoD and SAF members abroad,
 Infrastructure improvement