Military Technical Institute Belgrade

VTI

Type	R&D
Industry	Aerospace and defense
Founded	November 3, 1948
Headquarters	Belgrade, Serbia
Products	Military aircraft Military Vehicles Rocket Weapons Classical Weapons Upgrades of weapons and military systems
Number of employees	500-600(estimated)
Parent	Ministry of Defence (Serbia)
Website	http://www.vti.mod.gov.rs

Military Technical Institute Belgrade (Serbian: VTI - Vojnotehnički Institut Beograd (VTI)) is a major Serbian aircraft and weapons designer, headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia and governed by the Serbian Ministry of Defence. VTI is a top-level military scientific research institution in Serbia, dealing with research and development (R&D) of new weaponry and military equipment as well as with upgrade of the inventory for all three services of the Army: Land Forces, Air Force and River flotilla.

After the World War II, Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia had a need to independently develop military technology and reduce dependence from foreign supply with given political situation of that time and future political course. By a decision of the Secretary of Defense and a proclamation by the President of FPRY Josip Broz Tito, VTI was founded in 1948 as the Military technical institute of the Land Forces ((Serbian: VTIkov - Vojnotehnički Institut kopnene vojske)) in Belgrade. In 1973 VTI was integrated with several smaller military research and development institutes. In 1992 it assimilated the dissolved Aeronautical Technical Institute in Žarkovo, and minor parts (located in Serbia) of the Nautical institute (Serbian: Brodarski institut) from Zagreb, supposedly as an effort to reduce developing cost and maintenance. Since 1992 the Institute has changed name several times, reflecting the political changes in the country, starting with Technical institute of the Military of Yugoslavia (Serbian: Vojnotehnički institut Vojske Jugoslavije). Currently used name is Military technical institute Belgrade (Serbian: VTI - Vojnotehnički Institut Beograd). Neither the translation of the name to other languages nor the corresponding acronym have ever been unambiguously defined; both VTI and MTI have been used in English-language documents, against the widely accepted practice not to translate such acronymes.