Serbia’s MiG-29 fighter jets have been equipped with new Chinese-made air-launched weapons, marking a notable expansion of the country’s strike capabilities. According to the defense publication Tango Six, Serbian MiG-29s have recently been seen carrying Chinese LS-6 precision-guided glide bombs. The appearance of the weapon followed earlier reports that the same aircraft would also be armed with Chinese CM-400AKG air-to-ground missiles. The glide bomb spotted on the aircraft is believed to be the 500-kilogram variant, capable of striking targets at distances of up to around 80 kilometers.

The LS-6 system is essentially a conversion kit designed to turn conventional gravity bombs into precision-guided weapons. Developed by the Luoyang Optoelectronic Technology Development Center, part of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the system entered service in 2006. It is compatible with several Chinese combat aircraft including the JH-7, JF-17 Thunder, J-10, J-11, and the fifth-generation J-20, and has now also been integrated onto Serbia’s MiG-29 fleet. The LS-6 family includes four weight categories: 50, 100, 250, and 500 kilograms.

The weapon is mounted on a pylon that incorporates the Chinese Standalone Weapon Fire Control System (SWFCS). This system allows pilots to operate the bomb using a wireless data link connected to a tablet device in the cockpit. The tablet functions as a portable controller from which the pilot can select and launch the weapon. The same interface is designed to simplify the integration of Chinese weapons onto foreign aircraft platforms without requiring major modifications to onboard avionics or flight software.

At the same time, Serbian MiG-29s appear to have been integrated with another Chinese weapon system, the CM-400 air-launched supersonic standoff missile. Photographs have surfaced showing a Serbian Air Force MiG-29 carrying two of these missiles on the inner wing pylons. The development came after statements by Serbian Armed Forces Chief of the General Staff Gen. Milan Mojsilović, who hinted that the country had acquired air-based weapons with range and destructive potential comparable to the Israeli-made PULS rocket artillery system recently adopted by the Serbian Army. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also suggested that the country had obtained new military capabilities that the public had not previously imagined.

The CM-400 missile was developed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation primarily for export markets and is not known to be widely used by China’s own armed forces. First revealed in 2012, the missile measures roughly 17 feet in length, has a diameter of about 16 inches, and weighs approximately 2,000 pounds depending on the warhead configuration. It can carry either a 330-pound high-explosive warhead or a heavier 440-pound armor-piercing payload.

CASIC claims the missile can reach speeds of up to Mach 4.5 during the final phase of its flight, making it one of the fastest air-launched strike weapons available for export. While sometimes described as hypersonic, the missile technically remains in the high-supersonic category, as hypersonic speeds generally begin at Mach 5. Its maximum range remains somewhat unclear, with estimates ranging from at least 155 miles to as much as 186 miles or even 250 miles depending on the source.

The missile follows a ballistic-type trajectory powered by a solid rocket motor before diving steeply toward its target during the terminal attack phase. Although occasionally described as quasi-ballistic, it does not appear to follow a depressed trajectory typical of that class of weapons. However, the missile may retain the ability to maneuver in the final stage of flight, particularly when engaging moving naval targets.

The CM-400 is often characterized as an anti-ship weapon and has even been described as a “carrier-killer,” but it can also be configured for other missions. Variants of the missile can operate as anti-radiation weapons designed to strike radar emitters or attack fixed ground targets. All versions rely on inertial navigation combined with satellite guidance, while the terminal phase may use infrared or electro-optical sensors for maritime targets or passive radar seekers for destroying electronic emitters. The anti-radiation version reportedly has a circular error probable of around 16 to 33 feet, while the anti-ship configuration is claimed to be even more precise.

Until recently, Pakistan was the only confirmed operator of the CM-400, deploying the missile on its JF-17 Thunder fighter jets. Pakistani officials claimed the weapon was used successfully against Indian S-400 air defense systems during clashes in May last year, although those reports have not been independently verified. Serbia’s adoption therefore represents a rare example of the missile appearing in European service.

Serbia currently operates around 14 MiG-29 fighters. The aircraft were originally acquired by the former Yugoslavia during the 1980s. Those that survived NATO’s 1999 Operation Allied Force were later supplemented with secondhand jets from Russia and Belarus. The fleet has since undergone modernization and is often referred to as the MiG-29SM+ standard.

The long-term future of these aircraft remains uncertain. Serbia has already ordered 12 Dassault Rafale multirole fighters from France, which will eventually replace the MiG-29 fleet. Until then, however, the integration of Chinese weapons such as the LS-6 glide bomb and CM-400 missile significantly boosts the strike potential of Serbia’s existing aircraft.

Weapons of this type are particularly valuable in modern warfare, where powerful air-defense systems force aircraft to launch attacks from increasingly long distances. The combination of long range, high speed, and “fire-and-forget” guidance allows the CM-400 to strike hardened targets deep behind enemy lines in all weather conditions and at any time of day. Such weapons can also be used against time-sensitive targets, including mobile missile launchers or air-defense systems, provided their coordinates are known quickly enough.

For Serbia, adopting Chinese missiles and guided bombs offers a relatively straightforward way to expand its precision strike capabilities. The move is also notable from a geopolitical perspective. Although Belgrade has historically relied on Russia for military equipment, sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine have complicated access to Russian arms. As a result, Serbia has increasingly diversified its procurement, buying systems from Western suppliers such as Airbus while also turning to Israel and China.

At the same time, the Serbian military has been gradually shifting toward NATO-style operational concepts and training. Serbian forces have taken part in exercises with the United States Air Force and other Western partners, even as the country maintains a policy of military neutrality.