The Serbian Armed Forces have officially adopted Komar FPV drones, developed by local defense industries. The Serbian Ministry of Defence confirmed the deployment of these drones, marking a significant step in the country’s military capabilities.
In 2024, the Serbian Military Technical Institute played a key role in developing and producing two types of kamikaze drones: Komar 1 and Komar 2. A select group of Serbian soldiers has already received training to operate these drones, with deliveries to the military underway.
A representative from the Military Technical Institute emphasized, “The Serbian army follows global trends in unmanned aerial vehicles, so it was one of the first to introduce the safest igniter (Smart – Software-defined igniter) and warheads specially designed for these vehicles.”
While the exact specifications of the drones remain undisclosed, it is known that they are built to operate in diverse weather conditions and are resistant to electronic warfare.
The Komar 1 drone features a 50 mm high-explosive fragmentation warhead, designed to target armored vehicles, lightly armored targets, and infantry. Originally equipped with a high-explosive warhead, it was later upgraded to a universal high-explosive fragmentation warhead to improve infantry targeting. The warhead can be detonated either on impact or remotely via a control station, enhancing targeting precision.
The Komar 2 is armed with a 105 mm high-explosive warhead that uses a high-explosive core. This warhead is more effective against lightly armored targets, generating a larger number of fragments when it penetrates armor. However, while the high-explosive core has less armor penetration than traditional warheads, it is not defeated by reactive armor like Kontakt-1.
In a related development, Serbia reintroduced compulsory military service in September 2024, which had been abolished in 2010. Men will serve 60 days of training and 15 days of exercises, while women can voluntarily join under the same conditions. Defense Minister Miloš Vučević explained, “We need to replenish the reserve. For our security, we need new recruits who will always be ready to defend the country.”
