"France is sending heavy military equipment to the Balkans", Serbian media write.

Further in the article, it is emphasized that France is aiming to strengthen NATO's eastern wing. After infantry and the most modern air defense systems (PVO) Mamba, Paris also sent Leclerc tanks to Romania, which will be followed by sending a squadron of Rafale fighter jets. 

The Serbian media, citing the portal of the Balkan Security Network, points out that the French Leclerc tanks, which are considered the pride of the French military industry and one of the most expensive tanks of Western production, have debuted in the last training of the NATO battle group in Romania. 

Along with other vehicles, the artillery and infantry of the US, Romania, Poland, Portugal and France as the lead nations in the group, they practiced joint action with the use of live ammunition. 

Just a few weeks earlier, the defense ministers of Romania and France announced that, as part of NATO's air police, Paris would send a squadron of Rafale fighter jets to the country. 

"The delivery of the Leclerc and the future deployment of the Rafale is part of efforts to strengthen the eastern flank of the Alliance, which France took after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Paris' engagement in Romania is called the "Eagle" mission and was launched on February 28. The mission in Romania consists of about 750 soldiers, i.e. the Franco-Dutch tactical formation leading the NATO battle group, the air defense detachment with the Mamba system, engineering and the national support element." 

The air defense system, called Mamba in France, is tasked with protecting critical infrastructure and forces on land, sea and in the air, and is deployed in Romania with a variety of sensors, including the GM-200 surveillance radar. 

The manufacturer claims the Mamba is effective against all aerospace threats, including drones, cruise and ballistic missiles. 

"The system is served by a staff of about 100 people and is connected to the national air defense system of Romania. 

It is an integral part of NATO's integrated air and missile defense system. In addition to the Mamba, Romania's skies are protected by the Patriot systems that the country received from the US two years ago and the American anti-missile system Aegis Ashore with SM-3 missiles at the Deveselu base," the article continues.