Croatia Raises Concerns With NATO Over Serbia Buying Chinese Missiles

Croatia’s prime minister says he has raised concerns with NATO about Serbia’s apparent acquisition of Chinese air-launched, long-range missiles.

Andrej Plenković described the Serbian purchase of the Chinese-made CM400AKG long-range missiles as a “novelty” after a Serbian air force Mikoyan MiG-29 was photographed in flight carrying two of the weapons during apparent flight tests.

Serbian President Alexander Vucic admitted that the missiles had been inducted into the Serbian military’s inventory during a broadcast by Serbia’s state RTS ⁠TV just days after the photographs came to light.

“We have a significant number of those missiles, and we will have even more,” Vucic said.

The 400-km (248.5-mi.)-range CM400AKG reportedly comes in two variants: an anti-ship version and an anti-radiation version for the suppression and destruction of enemy air defense. Pakistan is understood to have used the weapon during the brief May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict.

“If you have a neighboring country that is not a member of the alliance, but has certain partnerships with the alliance, and it has Russian planes carrying Chinese missiles, that is still a novelty in terms of security, and we believe that it is good that this is taken into account at the level of the alliance itself,” Plenković said. He warned that the Chinese weapons are not defensive in nature but could be used to perform offensive standoff attack.

In addition to the CM400AKG, a Chinese-made glide bomb kit called Lei Shi 6 (LS-6) was also fitted to another Serbian MiG-29.

The weapon has not previously been noted on Russian-made combat aircraft, prompting questions about whether this is locally completed integration or if China has also supported that effort.

Observers have noted that the weapons are fitted to a China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation-developed Standalone Weapon Fire Control System pylon that simplifies the fitment of Chinese-made weapons. But flight testing and clearance trials would still be required to ensure safe separation of the missile. It also raises concerns about whether Chinese missiles on Russian-made fighters could further proliferate, given the significant investment made by China into air-launched complex weapons.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says Serbia is spending the equivalent of 2.6% of GDP on defense and has actively sought new equipment from a range of sources including France, Israel and the United Arab Emirates in recent years.