The fourth-generation Rafale fighter jets currently on order for the Serbian Air Force will have reduced air-to-air capabilities, local sources quoted by the bulgarianmilitary.com website confirmed.
This ensures that they will pose a limited challenge to NATO's air power if Belgrade aligns its policy with Western bloc preferences.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic first announced the deal to acquire the fighter jets on April 9 after talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
While the Rafale is considered a modern fighter, it has relatively limited performance in the air compared to other Western fighters.
The aircraft's engines are among the weakest of any fighter in production, and its small radar lacks the power of rivals such as the F-15's AN/APG-82 and the F-35's AN/APG-81.
Its range and missile-carrying capacity are also significantly smaller compared to high-performance fighters such as the Russian Su-30, Chinese J-16 and US F-15.
Nonetheless, Rafales in Serbian service will experience a significant reduction in their air-to-air capabilities due to the ban on providing Meteor air-to-air missiles, which are the fighter's primary armament. Other potential reductions remain unconfirmed.
The Meteor missile is designed to outperform the US AIM-120 and has reportedly benefited from the transfer of key US technology.
Introduced in 2016, Meteor boasts better range and kinematic performance compared to the AIM-120.
One of its distinguishing features is its propulsion system, which more closely resembles that of a cruise missile due to the use of a ducted variable-flow rocket (ramjet) instead of a traditional rocket motor. This capability allows the rockets to regulate engine performance in flight, rather than expending their energy in a single unmodulated burst.
As a result, they can conserve more energy for the final attack phase. This allows them to perform extreme maneuvers and take off quickly, making them much harder to avoid.
The Meteor missile is one of the few features that keep the Rafale's performance on par with leading American and Chinese counterparts. These missiles are believed to be comparable to the American AIM-260, the Chinese PL-15 and the Russian R-77M.
Without them, the Serbian Rafale fighters would have no long-range air strike capability, relying solely on the MICA medium-range missiles as their main armament.
Blocking the sale of Meteor missiles to certain customers is not without precedent. For example, the Rafale fighters offered to Egypt were subject to similar restrictions. This is in line with a long-standing Western policy of restricting Egypt's access to advanced air-to-air assets.
As a result, Egypt's F-16 fighters must rely on the outdated Cold War-era AIM-7 missile, which is even less capable than the MICA missile. Moreover, the French-supplied Egyptian Mirage 2000 fighters face even tighter restrictions.
As Serbia prepares to make its first-ever acquisition of Western fighters, it is clear that similar restrictions will apply.
This means that Serbian Rafale fighters will be among the least capable in air combat in Eastern Europe.
In contrast, countries in the region are moving to more advanced variants, such as the F-35, while Croatia is acquiring Meteor-equipped Rafales and Slovakia is buying F-16 Block 70s armed with advanced AIM-120 variants.
It is worth noting that the Serbian Air Force's new Rafale fighters will actually have a shorter air-to-air range than the MiG-29s currently in their fleet.
While MiG-29s use R-77-1 missiles with a range of 110 km, the Rafale's MICA missiles are limited to 80 km. The MiG-29 is also superior to the Rafale in terms of speed and flying capabilities, although Serbia's existing variants lag behind in terms of modern avionics.
Once considered a major contender for the latest MiG-29 models such as the MiG-29M or the advanced MiG-35, Serbia changed its focus due to increased economic sanctions by Western countries in late 2010. Had they acquired these advanced MiG variants, Serbian pilots would have benefited from advanced AESA radars, which would have allowed them to field R-77M missiles comparable to the Meteor and potentially long-range R-37M missiles.
BGNES recalls that on 29 August 2023, during a state visit to Belgrade, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic signed a contract to purchase 12 Rafale warplanes from the French company Dassault Aviation in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron.
According to Dassault CEO Eric Trappier, under the deal Serbia will receive nine single-seat and three two-seat aircraft by 2029.
The purchase of these ten multi-role fighters is part of a wider effort to modernize the Serbian air force and replace obsolete Soviet-era warplanes.
Vucic said at the time the agreement included logistical support and spare parts, and negotiations were underway over the type of weaponry that would accompany the aircraft.
Macron, stressing the importance of the deal, described it as an indicator of "the long-term alliance between our two countries within a stronger and more sovereign Europe." | BGNES
