New rifles of its own production are entering service with the Serbian army
The Serbian army is equipped with M-19 automatic rifles of its own production in two calibers: Russian 7,62 mm and international 6,5 mm.
This was reported by Politika, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
According to the publication, the M-19 rifle was put into service in the second quarter of this year. This quarter it is planned to purchase larger quantities of rifles for the needs of the army. Soldiers are currently being trained in the use of these weapons and their basic maintenance.
“Smaller numbers of 5,56 mm M-21 rifles will continue to be used in the active army, primarily due to the participation of our units in multinational operations, in order to meet interoperability requirements,” the Serbian Ministry of Defense told Politika. “The 7,62-mm M-70 automatic rifles will also remain in service with military units.”
It is assumed that the main caliber of the Serbian army will be 6,5 mm, and the 7,62 caliber bullet, familiar to the Kalashnikov family, will be used during training or in the event that 6,5 mm ammunition runs out during possible actions. In this, the Serbian Ministry of Defense intends to borrow the experience of Western armies, whose fighters are equipped with modular rifles with the ability to replace barrels and caliber ammunition to increase the effectiveness of fire in various tactical situations.
Serbian Army receives new domestically produced rifles