US plans to continue and improve military co-operation with Serbia

The United States plans to continue and improve military co-operation with Serbia, US ambassador to Belgrade Anthony Godfrey told Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic during a meeting on 4 November, the Serbian Ministry of Defence (MoD) reported on its website later the same day.

Stefanovic thanked the ambassador for US donations of military equipment and for the training and education of members of the MoD and the Serbian Army.

A Serbian military operations in urban terrain (MOUT) instructor trains members of the Ohio National Guard’s 838th Military Police Company on 12 June 2019 during peacekeeping exercise ‘Platinum Wolf 2019’ at South Base, Serbia. (US Army)

A US embassy spokesman told Janes on 12 November that Washington had provided approximately USD13 million in international military education and training, and through the counter-terrorism fellowship programme. More than 1,330 Serbians have been trained under these programmes, including junior, mid-level, and senior officers from both the army and air force, as well as senior non-commissioned officers.

“In the past decade and a half, 69 of Serbia’s senior officers and non-commissioned officers have graduated from the United States’ most prestigious and highest-level military schools,” the spokesman said. In addition, the US has funded training courses on defence enterprise management and law for Serbian MoD civilians.

Serbia has also sent more than 70 trainees to the US to prepare them to support Serbian-funded purchases of US defence equipment. In addition, the US has donated mobility platforms, including Humvees and training aids, and has provided technical advice on training area design and development since 2009.