The Serbian defence industry will present a number of new products at the Partner 2011 international defence exhibition that starts in Belgrade on Tuesday, including the Pegaz drone and a light maćine gun with 5.56 mm calibre.

There will be 90 participants and tens of defence company representatives, the Defence Ministry has released.

Compared to previous events of the same kind, there is now more interest from Germany, Austria, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Albania, France and the U.S.

Defence ministry delegations from Austria, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania will visit the exhibition.

Partner 2011 will be open until July 1. It is sponsored by the Defence Ministry and co-organized by the Jugoimport SDPR defence company and the Belgrade Fair.

At the international fair of arms and military equipment 'Partner 2011', the Serbian defence industry will present a series of new products, including Pegasus unmanned aircraft and 5.56 mm machine gun.

Zastava Trucks factory from Kragujevac will present a new SUV, while Zastava Arms manufacturer would display the new 5.56 mm machine gun.

In the area of missile weapons, Serbia will present the new Multiple Launcher Rocket System (MLRS) and the improvements made on howitzers Sora 122mm, Soko 105mm and Nora B-52.

Fair 'Partner 2011' will be open at the Belgrade Fair until July 1, under the auspices of the Serbian Defence Industry, in cooperation with Belgrade Fair and Yugoimport SDPR, company for export and import of defence equipment.

Defence minister says Serbian defence industry is in expansion
Serbian Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac stated on Tuesday that Serbia's defence industry is in expansion and constitutes one of most vital parts of the country's economy.

Opening the international fair of arms and military equipment 'Partner 2011', Sutanovac said that past few years marked a successful recovery of the Serbian defence industry which is making a return, both in terms of quality and range of products, to the very selective and demanding global market.

He said that the defence industry sector enables Serbia to give its contribution to defence activities of all progressive world forces, while at the same time increasing its total export balance.

Sutanovac said that the fifth and the biggest fair of arms and military equipment held so far gathered around 100 participants from Serbia and other countries, and four times more foreign delegations than last year.