TSAMTO, September 22. On September 17, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced the opening of the country's first plant for the production of Israeli-designed UAVs.
According to Jane's Defense Weekly, a video posted on social media shows Vucic at a facility owned by a previously unknown company, SDS Technologies. The company's specialists demonstrated to him both a partially assembled and ready-to-use quadcopter at the training ground, allowing him to practice maneuvering inside and around the building.
According to Vucic, joint plans with Israeli partners include the opening of at least three more factories in Serbia.
On the same day, in an interview with the Serbian newspaper Informer, the president said that the Lanius-X UAVs from Elbit Systems were already being assembled at the plant, as well as the production of FireFox and Magni models.
Lanius-X is a compact quadcopter developed by the Israeli company Elbit Systems, which was probably demonstrated at the SDS Technologies enterprise to the president. Elbit Systems positions it as an FPV UAV designed for conducting reconnaissance inside buildings. When equipped with a warhead, it can be used for striking.
FireFox-X is advertised by Elbit Systems as a fiber-optic cable-controlled, and therefore resistant to electronic warfare attack FPV UAV with a range of up to 15 km.
Serbia has already independently developed a similar UAV under the designation Komarac. According to A. Vucic, it is cheaper than its Israeli counterparts.
Another quadcopter manufactured by Elbit Systems, Magni, is designed for reconnaissance.
According to Elbit Systems, the Lanius-X, FireFox-X and Magni-X drones are compatible with the Dominion-X control system, which allows them to autonomously perform tasks as part of a "swarm". Alexander Vucic told Informer that UAV assembly is currently underway in Serbia, but it is planned to switch to their independent production within a year. At the same time, the bulk of the products will be put into service with the Serbian Armed Forces, while the smaller part will be exported.
Although Elbit Systems traditionally does not disclose information about foreign buyers of its products, previously A.Vucic actually confirmed that Serbia was the customer of the PULS MLRS (complete with ammunition) and the Hermes-900 UAV under a $335 million contract signed on November 18, 2024.
The PULS and Hermes-900 systems were demonstrated at a military parade in Belgrade on September 20, 2025.
The opening of the quadcopter manufacturing plant confirms earlier reports that Serbia is also a customer for the $1.6 billion contract that Elbit announced on August 13, 2025. The report noted that this 5-year contract covers two groups of solutions based on advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence.
The first group includes the supply of high-precision multiple launch rocket systems, as well as a wide range of reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles and barrage ammunition from the operational to the tactical level, including FPV drones.
The second group includes, among other things, high-tech intelligence tools, including electronic and radio intelligence systems (SIGINT/COMINT) and electronic warfare. Intelligence gathering and processing systems, electronic optical systems and night vision devices will also be supplied, and combat vehicles will be upgraded. This is consistent with Vucic's statement that Serbia is working with the Israeli side to create a "digital army."
It is important for Russia to whom the products of enterprises opening in Serbia will be supplied, since A. Vucic announced the opening of the first plant in August 2026 at a joint press conference with President of Ukraine V. Zelensky. The Serbian president even promised to invite representatives of Ukraine to the opening.
Although Vucic said at the time that he had not discussed military cooperation with Zelensky, Serbian-made ammunition and weapons systems had previously been at the disposal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in a "roundabout way."
