Serbia Unveils Upgraded PASARS System with Enhanced Anti-Drone and Layered Air Defence at PARTNER 2025

Serbia has showcased a modernized version of its PASARS mobile short-range air defence system at the PARTNER 2025 exhibition in Belgrade. The upgrades are aimed at improving protection against low-altitude threats including UAVs, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and even cruise missiles. Below is a clear explanation of the system and what’s new, using simple terms and highlighting the main features.

What is PASARS?

• The PASARS (also known as PASARS-16) is a self-propelled air-defence system developed by Serbia.

• It combines a 40 mm autocannon (Bofors L/70) with various surface-to-air missiles, radar, and other sensors.

• It is built on a high-mobility 6×6 truck chassis (models like FAP 2026 or FAP 2228) so it can keep up with moving forces.

• It has an armoured cab (light armour, enough to stop small arms fire and shell fragments).

• Crew: 3 people. Mobility: road speed up to about 100 km/h, off-road slower. Operational range is hundreds of kilometers.

What’s New in the Upgraded Version?

The version displayed at PARTNER 2025 includes several enhancements to make PASARS more versatile and capable of dealing with modern threats, especially drones:

1. Missile Configurations

   • One configuration uses a four-tube silo launcher for Strela-2M missiles.

   • Another configuration combines the 40 mm gun with missiles that include Mistral 3+, Strela-2M or Strela-2MA, and Malyutka 2T5. These give the system different engagement ranges and performance levels for different target types.

2. Radar & Electronic Warfare (EW)

   • It features the RPS-42 hemispheric radar, which enhances detection and tracking of several threat types, including low-flying aircraft and drones.

   • It now also has a counter-UAV jammer / EW suite which can disrupt unmanned aerial systems by interfering with their communications or navigation.

3. Layered Protection

   • With both gun and missile options, plus radar and jamming, the PASARS can engage threats at different ranges and use different methods. This gives a multi-layered defence: for example, jamming might disable or confuse a drone; missiles can destroy targets at longer ranges; the autocannon handles close targets.

4. Enhanced Mobility and Deployment

   • The system is designed to protect land forces while moving (on march), during active combat, and to secure fixed installations.

   • It can transition fairly quickly between march, deployment, and combat positions.

Technical

• The autocannon has a vertical firing range up to several thousand meters; useful against low-altitude aircraft and rockets/missiles in certain trajectories.

• Rate of fire of the gun is high, allowing it to suppress or destroy fast and small threats (like drones) with airburst or programmable ammunition.

• The missiles (Mistral, Strela, etc.) give flexibility: some are shorter-range but cheaper, others have better seekers (infrared, dual-mode), better warheads, and greater speed/maneuverability.

• The EW / jamming functions operate over a broad frequency range to counter various types of drones.

Why This Matters

In today’s battlefields, drones are everywhere, and they’re only getting more dangerous. Having a system like PASARS that can detect, jam, and shoot them down is a big deal because it gives armies a real edge against an increasingly common threat.

What really makes PASARS stand out is its layered defence. Relying on just one method—like radar or missiles—can leave weak spots. But by combining radar, jamming, missiles, and a rapid-firing gun, the chances of actually stopping incoming threats go way up.

Another important point is mobility. Unlike fixed defence systems that stay in one place, PASARS can move with troops, set up quickly, and protect both soldiers and critical infrastructure wherever needed. That flexibility is crucial in modern warfare.

Finally, there’s the matter of self-reliance. Because PASARS is largely developed in Serbia, it means the country isn’t as dependent on outside suppliers for such an important piece of military technology. That’s a significant step in strengthening national defence capabilities.

The upgraded PASARS shown at PARTNER 2025 is not just another air defence truck—it’s a modern, flexible shield against a wide mix of threats. With its combination of autocannon, multiple missile options, advanced radar, and anti-drone jamming, it provides a layered umbrella of protection that works both on the move and while guarding fixed sites.