Serbia, Slovenia still buying Israeli arms despite embargo: What to know
The Elbit Systems deal with Serbia is one of the largest in the company’s history, second only to a $1.7 billion agreement to modernize the Hellenic Air Force’s training program in Greece.
Serbia has been identified as the previously unnamed customer in a $1.635 billion arms deal with Israel’s Elbit Systems, one of the defense firm’s largest contracts to date.
This news comes despite the fact that on June 23, 2025, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced a halt to all military exports to Israel over concerns that the equipment could be used in the Gaza war.
What happened: On Sunday, Israeli business outlet Calcalist revealed that the Balkan state was the buyer in last week's undisclosed contract with Elbit, citing a security source. The agreement includes precision long-range artillery rockets, various types of drones for strike and intelligence missions, and advanced electronic warfare and intelligence-gathering systems.
Elbit had initially kept the buyer’s identity confidential, citing the client’s request for discretion. The Serbian deal now ranks among Elbit’s biggest contracts, second only to its $1.7 billion agreement with Greece earlier this year to modernize the Hellenic Air Force’s training program.
