The President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces Aleksandar Vu?i? visited on 3 January, the 72nd Special Operations Brigade in “Rastko Nemanji?” barracks, Pan?evo, where the demonstration of capabilities and presentation of “Cornet” anti-tank missile system was held. The demonstration was also attended by Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanovi?, Ph.D., and Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, General Milan Mojsilovic. After the demonstration, President Vu?i? said that he was very satisfied with the procurement of Russia’s “Cornet” anti-tank missile system, as well as a significant number of missiles and missile launchers.
The 9M133M Kornet-M, also known by the export designation 9M133 Kornet-EM is an improved version of the Russian 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), with increased range and an improved warhead. Kornet-EM missiles are chiefly used on the Kornet-D system. Kornet-M missiles are also compatible with standard Kornet man-portable tripod launchers. Introduced in 2012, its vehicle-mounted version is equipped with an automatic target tracker. Instead of manually placing the crosshairs on target throughout the flight of the missile, the operator designates a target once and the computer tracks the target as the missile travels towards it.
The beam riding system also allows a vehicle equipped with twin launchers to attack two different targets at once, increasing its rate of fire, decreasing the number of vehicles needed for a mission, and can defeat vehicles equipped with an active protection system through salvo fire at one target. The system’s use of an auto tracker can make it more effective against low-flying aerial threats like helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Like the Kornet, the Kornet-M is designed to defeat vehicles with explosive reactive armor via a tandem-warhead. There are also Kornet-M variants equipped with thermobaric warheads.
The first batch of Kornet-EM anti-tank guided missiles for the Serbian armed forces arrived from Russia on December 24, 2021. Serbia first revealed its intention to buy the missiles in November 2021, during the meeting between Serbia’s Vucic and Russian president Vladimir Putin in Sochi. The Russian defense ministry separately announced it would be supplying additional Pantsir S1 systems, which are already in service with the Serbian armed forces. The Russian defense ministry separately announced it would be supplying additional Pantsir S1 systems, which are already in service with the Serbian armed forces.
