Serbia's preparations for its upcoming Day of Serbian Unity military parade on September 20 have unexpectedly revealed a new and secretive weapons purchase. Local defense outlet Tango Six reported that Belgrade has quietly acquired long-range loitering munitions from ADASI, part of the UAE's EDGE Group defense conglomerate.
During parade rehearsals, observers spotted launchers carrying the Shadow 50 and Shadow 25 drones. The Shadow 50 is a heavyweight system with a declared maximum take-off weight of 135 kilograms and the ability to carry up to 50 kilograms of payload. Its flight endurance is listed at up to nine hours, though its official strike range is given as only 250 kilometers, with live operator control possible within 100 kilometers. Analysts suggest that these figures may understate its real range against pre-programmed targets.
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The Shadow 25 drone represents a different design philosophy, more akin to a rocket-assisted kamikaze drone. With a take-off weight of 103 kilograms and a 25-kilogram warhead, it is advertised with cruising speed of 400 km/h, one-hour flight time, and maximum range of 250 kilometers. Yet, like the Shadow 50 drone, the numbers appear inconsistent, raising questions about the true operational performance of these systems.
For now, critical details remain unknown. Neither the size of the Serbian order, nor the timeframe or financial conditions of the procurement have been disclosed, and may never be officially announced. This secrecy mirrors a previous case in 2024, when Serbia was spotted operating EDGE's SM2 loitering munition without providing any further transparency.
The acquisition is strategically significant because it marks another shift in Belgrade's procurement away from traditional suppliers russia and China. For years, Serbia sought to deepen military cooperation with Moscow, including interest in additional Mi-35 helicopters and Pantsir-S1 air defense systems. Similarly, Belgrade imported Chinese CH-92 drones and the FK-3 surface-to-air missile system, which took two years to fully deploy.
Both russia and China could have offered competitive alternatives to the EDGE drones. Yet Belgrade's decision to turn to the UAE suggests a deliberate effort to avoid the political and diplomatic risks of becoming further dependent on Moscow or Beijing. The UAE-made systems are almost certainly more expensive, but they also carry less geopolitical baggage at a time when Serbia faces delicate relations with both the EU and NATO.
As Defense Express previously reported, Denmark has finalized its choice of a long-range air defense system, opting for European SAMP/T NG system instead of American Patriot system. At least four fire units of the system will be acquired, marking a major step in strengthening Denmark's ground-based air defense, which until now has relied solely on the F-35 fighter jets.
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