Dassault, Thales Expand Industrial Cooperation with Serbia’s Defense Sector
Serbia has taken another step in its defense-industrial cooperation with France after Dassault Aviation, Dassault Systèmes, and Thales signed a series of agreements with Serbian defense organizations during the Eurosatory 2026 exhibition in Paris. The initiatives are intended to enhance domestic development and manufacturing capabilities while supporting long-term industrial cooperation linked to Serbia’s Rafale fighter acquisition program.
The agreements involve Serbia’s Military Technical Institute and aircraft manufacturer UTVA Avio, a subsidiary of state-owned defense company Yugoimport SDPR. According to the Serbian Ministry of Defense, the projects will introduce advanced design, simulation, and manufacturing technologies from the French partners into Serbia’s defense sector.
A key element of the cooperation is the creation of an integrated development environment connecting nine Serbian defense entities. The ministry stated that the effort is designed to improve the efficiency of weapons development and support modernization across the domestic defense-industrial base.
The agreements also include support for establishing an artificial intelligence laboratory at the Military Technical Institute. The facility is expected to focus on autonomous systems, data processing, and command-and-control applications, areas that are becoming increasingly important across European defense modernization programs.
Separately, UTVA Avio signed an industrial cooperation arrangement that foresees technology transfer for the production of complex assemblies used on the Rafale fighter aircraft. The move could enable the Serbian company to become part of Dassault Aviation’s supplier network, potentially expanding local aerospace manufacturing activity beyond national requirements.
The latest agreements build on an industrial cooperation framework signed between Serbia and Dassault Aviation in September 2025. That framework followed Belgrade’s 2024 contract for the acquisition of 12 Rafale fighter jets valued at approximately €2.7 billion. Additional industrial agreements are expected as cooperation between the French and Serbian defense sectors continues to develop.
