Serbia demonstrates digital army with robotic dogs and drones

Serbia has demonstrated its transition toward a ‘digital army’ during the ‘Pobednik 2026’ military exercise. The large-scale drill, which involved over 2,000 soldiers and 500 combat systems, focused on improving interoperability between land units, air force, air defense, and special forces.

A central feature of the exercise was the integration of unmanned platforms to reduce human exposure during combat. This included the use of robotic dogs—quadrupedal platforms of Chinese manufacture—capable of reconnaissance, cargo transport, and close support. These robots can be equipped with 7.62mm machine guns, 40mm grenade launchers, or M-80 Zolja anti-tank rockets, with a payload capacity of approximately 50 kilograms.

The exercise took place in several phases from August to early October across various training grounds, including Pešter, Međa, Orešac, and Peskovi. It simulated transitions from defensive postures to offensive operations under hybrid warfare conditions, testing everything from mass strikes and armored coordination to counter-diversionary operations and the neutralization of terrorist groups.