MoD happy with progress in first 100 days

Dragan Sutanovac says that the Defense Ministry has made progress in the first 100 days of the new government, with only one serious setback. The setback was the crash and death of pilot Istvan Kanas. MoD happy with progress in first 100 days At a press conference, Sutanovac said that he had been very shaken by the accident, and that he would insist on an investigative commission to uncover the circumstances behind the accident and confirm what happened on September 24 when his jet went down. Sutanovac said that the Defense Ministry was considering paying off Kanas’ family’s mortgage as compensation. The minister expressed his sadness that the ministry’s equipment budget had been cut by about EUR 36mn in the state budget review, but that the ministry’s plans would not be altered because it was good to plan ahead. He said that in the first 100 days, the military had purchased 100 off-road vehicles, 1,580 M-21 rifles, 500 sniper weapons for the Special Brigade, and ten pilot-less aircraft. A military base is currently being constructed in Cepotina in southern Serbia, and next year, a tender will be announced for the purchase of more pilot-less aircraft. Currently, five airplanes, ten helicopters as well as a number of tanks and other vehicles are under repair. Sutanovac said that discussions were under way with Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina for the return of aircraft and other military equipment to Serbia, after senior military officials had confirmed that Serbia would be needing this equipment. The minister said that the military had completely paid back its debts inherited from an earlier period and that this had had many positive effects, as about EUR 6mn had been spent in interest on those debts in the last year alone. He said that in the first 100 days, the military had worked actively on drawing up draft laws such as the one for military equipment obligations and civil service, and it iwa also in the process of creating a procedural guide for new service and regimental rules. The minister added that the possibility was being considered of integrating military establishments, such as the repair bureaus in Cacak and Batajnica, and the military print house and military project bureau into the Defense Ministry’s system. Sutanovac pointed out that the ministry employed a total of 37,000 staff, 29,500 of whom are professionals and the remainder soldiers on national service. He added that a further1,358 professional soldiers would be recruited, with only 706 spots filled thus far. Dragan Sutanovac (FoNet, archive)

MoD happy with progress in first 100 days

At a press conference, Šutanovac said that he had been very shaken by the accident, and that he would insist on an investigative commission to uncover the circumstances behind the accident and confirm what happened on September 24 when his jet went down.

Šutanovac said that the Defense Ministry was considering paying off Kanas’ family’s mortgage as compensation.

The minister expressed his sadness that the ministry’s equipment budget had been cut by about EUR 36mn in the state budget review, but that the ministry’s plans would not be altered because it was good to plan ahead.

He said that in the first 100 days, the military had purchased 100 off-road vehicles, 1,580 M-21 rifles, 500 sniper weapons for the Special Brigade, and ten pilot-less aircraft.

A military base is currently being constructed in Cepotina in southern Serbia, and next year, a tender will be announced for the purchase of more pilot-less aircraft. Currently, five airplanes, ten helicopters as well as a number of tanks and other vehicles are under repair.

Šutanovac said that discussions were under way with Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina for the return of aircraft and other military equipment to Serbia, after senior military officials had confirmed that Serbia would be needing this equipment.

The minister said that the military had completely paid back its debts inherited from an earlier period and that this had had many positive effects, as about EUR 6mn had been spent in interest on those debts in the last year alone.

He said that in the first 100 days, the military had worked actively on drawing up draft laws such as the one for military equipment obligations and civil service, and it iwa also in the process of creating a procedural guide for new service and regimental rules.

The minister added that the possibility was being considered of integrating military establishments, such as the repair bureaus in Čačak and Batajnica, and the military print house and military project bureau into the Defense Ministry’s system.

Šutanovac pointed out that the ministry employed a total of 37,000 staff, 29,500 of whom are professionals and the remainder soldiers on national service. He added that a further1,358 professional soldiers would be recruited, with only 706 spots filled thus far.