The countries of the former Yugoslavia have budgeted more than 2025 billion euros in their budgets for the year 1,8 for the procurement of weapons, ammunition and other techniques for military needs.
As reported by the Balkan Security Network portal, it was not easy to calculate the exact figures because there is no precise information in the budgets and accompanying documents for Serbia, North Macedonia and Kosovo (the Balkan Security Network stated - the authorities in Pristina).
The plans of Slovenia and Croatia are visible, and Montenegro finances the main purchases through loans, and that is why the exact structure of the financing of ongoing modernization programs is not visible in the defense budget.
Montenegro pays for important weapons purchases through loans, and the defense budget for 2025 also provides for modernization and infrastructure of a modest 7,4 million euros. The state treasury will cover part of the cost of purchasing two patrol boats from France for 120 million euros according to the contract signed in November of this year.
In the next year, it is planned to take a loan of 75 million euros for the procurement of weapons and up to 50 million euros for two helicopters.
Serbia has the largest population, the largest army and the largest budget of around 2,23 billion euros, of which 971 million euros are earmarked for procurement of material and technical resources for various purposes. There is no information in the budget about what is being procured, except that the second installment for 12 Rafal fighter jets in the amount of slightly more than 470 million euros is specified.
It is quite certain that a good part of the 319,6 million euros must be taken into account for a fresh order of Israeli weapons - multi-barrel PULS rocket launchers and Hermes 900 drones.
The rest are payments for earlier contracts, for example for China's HQ-17AE anti-aircraft missile system, as well as domestic equipment from M19 dual-caliber 6,5mm and 7,62mm automatic rifles to 52mm Nora-B155 self-propelled howitzers and combat vehicles the Lazar and Miloš family, etc.
Slovenia has the largest publicly stated budget for modernization. About 305 million euros have been earmarked for military projects. The largest individual program is the procurement of Boxer combat vehicles, for which almost 2025 million euros have been allocated in 165.
In 2023, Slovenia ordered two batteries of the air defense missile system IRIS-T SLM for 200 million euros, and next year it will pay slightly more than 36 million euros of that amount.
Croatia will spend more than 245 million euros specifically for military equipment and other costs for the acquisition of material and technical resources. Narrowly defined, 232,8 million euros are planned for military equipment, and the first place on the list in terms of costs is the procurement of a basic battle tank from Germany.
Next year, 144,9 million euros will be spent for that purpose. First, the German Department of Defense will deliver that sum to the Croatian Ministry of Defense in exchange for 30 M-84 tanks and 30 M-80 infantry fighting vehicles going to the Ukrainian army. Then, from the budget for 2026 and 2027, Croatia will pay Germany 145,1 and 390,1 million euros respectively for the tanks.
The first company of 14 Leopard 2A8s will be in units in 2027.
Croatia will pay more than 248 million euros this year and 119 million euros the following year as part of the procurement of 12 multi-purpose Rafal fighter jets, which Zagreb will pay from 2022.
Croatia will pay around 2 million euros in the next two years for the purchase of Turkish equipment and six Bajraktar TB64 drones. The continuation of the overhaul and introduction into armament of 67 infantry fighting vehicles M2A2 ODS Bradley will be financed, and about 44 million euros have been earmarked for this purpose.
It will cost almost 20 million euros to continue the process of filling the squadron with 12 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, four of which fly in Croatia, and eight will be received in 2028.
An important new undertaking for the strengthening of Croatian military power is the introduction of the M142 HIMARS multi-barrel rocket launcher into the armament. The American administration has implemented a contracting procedure in which it is foreseen that the Croatian army will receive eight launchers with rockets and accompanying vehicles and training for an amount of up to 369,77 million euros.
For now, in the explanation of the Croatian budget, it is only defined that in the next year 25 percent of the HIMARS program will be realized, and in the next two years another quarter, from which it can be assumed that in 2028, the Croatian artillery can be counted on to have a long-range artillery missile battery.
Macedonian ambitions in terms of modernization in the next year will cost around 140,69 million euros. The list of military equipment that is paid for through multi-year programs includes the American-made JLTV and Stryker combat vehicles whose delivery is ongoing, four AW149 and four AW169M Italian helicopters (planned delivery in 2026-2028), Turkish 105 mm Boran howitzers.
The plans of Kosovo (Balkan security network stated - temporary institutions in Pristina) in terms of modernization imply the expenditure of 94 million euros, and of that amount, as much as 76,66 million euros refers to weapon systems that have not been specified.
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