Serbian Air Force and Air Defence

Serbian Air Force and Air Defence
Active	1912-1918 2006-present
Country	Serbia
Type	Air Force
Size	4,000 personnel and 200 aircraft
Headquarters	Air Force Command, Zemun
Motto	"За слободу и част Отаџбине" "For Freedom and Honor of the Fatherland"
Anniversaries	December 24
Engagements	Operation Allied Force
Commanders
Commander	Brigadier general Ranko Živak
Insignia
Roundel
Aircraft flown
Attack	J-22, G-4, SA.342 GAMA
Fighter	MiG-29, MiG-21
Interceptor	MiG-21
Reconnaissance	INJ-22, SA.341
Trainer	Utva 75, Lasta 95, G-4, NJ-22
Transport	An-2, An-26, Yak-40, Mi-8, Mi-17

The Serbian Air Force and Air Defence (Serbian: Ваздухопловство и противваздушна одбрана / Vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazdušna odbrana), is the air force of Serbia and service branch of the Serbian Armed Forces. Established on 24 December 1912 in the city of Niš, it is one of the oldest air forces in the world.

History

The first Serbian military pilot Mihajlo Petrović (14 June 1884 — 7 March 1913) during flight training in France 1912.

The first aviation expert in Serbia was lieutenant Kosta Miletić, selected owing to his physical and mental abilities. He got the rank of pilot of tied and free balloons at the Technical Aeronautical School near St. Petersburg (February 14, 1901 – November 12, 1902), and he was also trained for handling messenger pigeons. Meanwhile, on December 17, 1903, in the USA, the Wright brothers made the first successful flight in the world’s first motor-powered, heavier-than-the-air craft, called “aero plane” or “airplane”. According to projects of Lt. Kosta Miletić, Serbian armed forces posed messenger pigeon stations (in 1908 in Medosevac near Nis and in 1909 in Pirot), and bought two free spherical and one tied kite – balloon from the company "August Ridinger" from Augsburg. At the reception ceremony, on April 19, 1909, Kosta Miletić flew a spherical balloon called “Serbia”. One balloon was provided from Russia. A gas chamber was ordered from the company "Dillmann" in Berlin, and field winch from St Petersburg. A hydorogen unit was provided from the Swiss company „Oerlikon“. The equipment was delivered to Serbia in 1909 and 1910.

The first competition for the cadet airmen in Serbia was opened on May 1911, and in the following year the First class of Serbian pilots started their flying training in France from May 21 to September 8, 1912 and got the rank of pilot. They finished the course in the beginning of the First Balkan War (See also:Italo-Turkish War) which forced to equip Serbian military with the aircraft and the balloons (of course with a great material renunciation). In the autumn of 1912, Serbia got the aircraft for its armed forces. On the 24th December 1912 the head of the military Ministry Radomir Putnik signed the papers about forming the Aviation Command situated in Niš; the commander was Major Kosta Miletić. It comprised: the Aircraft Squad which counted 12 military aircraft, the Balloon squad, the Pigeon post and the Base. This date is the date of forming of Serbian Air Force. This made Serbia, one of the first 15 states in the world to have an air force. Its first combat experience, the Serbian Aviation has experienced on the March 1913 over the Skadar. On the first combat flight sergeant-pilot Mihajlo Petrović was killed as the second victim of World Military Aviation. The first victim of military aviation was a Bulgarian pilot Topradzijev who was killed in 1912 when he was flying back from the reconnaissance mission over Edirne (See also:Battle of Adrianople (1913)). Mihajlo Petrović was the first trained Serbian airplane pilot. He completed his training and exams at the famous Farman pilot school in France and was awarded the international FAI license no.979 in June 1912. His Serbian pilot's license carries the number 1.

1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia

An important portion of the 1999 war between Yugoslavia and the NATO coalition involved combat between the Yugoslav Air Force, which was the predecessor of today's Serbian Air Force, and the opposing air forces of NATO. United States Air Force F-15s and F-16s flying mainly from Italian air force bases attacked the defending Yugoslav fighters--usually MiG-29s, which were in bad shape, due to lack of spare parts and maintenance. A total of six Yugoslav MiG-29s were shot down in 1999, of which three were shot down by USAF F-15s, one by a USAF F-16, and one by a RNAF F-16. One aircraft, according to a Serbian documentary, was hit by friendly fire from the ground. Another four were destroyed on the ground. During the course of the air war, Yugoslav anti-aircraft defenses downed a USAF F-16C and an F-117 Nighthawk, the first stealth aircraft to ever be shot down in combat.

Role

• Maintaining airspace dominance.
• Intercepting airspace violators.
• Providing air support and transport for terrestrial units.
• Responding to natural disasters.

Equipment

Aircraft

A Serbian Blériot XI prepares for takeoff in 1912 and MiG-29 takeoff in 2011.

The air force fleet consists of several Soviet combat aircraft, consisting of a number of MiG-21s, and MiG-29s. Serbia is looking to replace its aging fleet with new multi-role combat aircraft. Before its demise, the former Yugoslav Air Force was developing the Novi Avion project which was intended as a replacement. The project was canceled in 1991 due to the collapse of Yugoslavia.

Serbia as the largest succeeding nation of Yugoslavia, received the bulk of the former air force. Since the Agreement on Sub-Regional Arms Control was enacted in 1996, dozens of J-22, J-21 and G-2s have been withdrawn from service.

The air force operates from three major air bases, the 204th Batajnica Air Base and 98th Lađevci Air Base and Niš Air Base.

Air Defence

The Serbian air force operates a variety of Soviet surface-to-air missile systems. Many are long-range with a moderate amount of short-range weapons assigned to infantry units. The 250th Air Defence Missile Brigade operates SA-3 and SA-6 surface-to-air missile systems. The military is upgrading both types with fire-and-forget ability. The air force has upgraded "Neva-M" to the "Neva-M1T" standard.

Radars

• S-605/654 Observation radars
• S-613 Altitude measurement radar
• AN/TPS-70 3D radar
• AS-74 and AS-84 automatized systems

Organization

Structure of the Air Force and Air Defence

J-22 Oraos fly in formation

• Air Force and Air Defence Command
  • 210th Signal Battalion
  • 333rd Engineering Battalion
  • Air Medical Institute
  • Moma Stanojlovic Aeronautical plant
  • Section for Air Control, Protection and Allocation

• 204th Air Brigade Batajnica Air Base
  • 101st Fighter Squadron
  • 252nd Training Squadron
  • 138th Transport Squadron
  • 890th Mixed Helicopter Squadron
  • 24th Air Technical Battalion
  • 17th Airfield Security Battalion
  • 177th Air Defence Artillery Missile Battalion

• 98th Air Brigade Kraljevo-Lađevci Airport
  • 241st Fighter-Bomber Squadron
  • 714th Anti Armor Helicopter Squadron
  • 119th Mixed Helicopter Squadron
  • 98th Air Defence Artillery Missile Battalion
  • 98th Airfield Security Battalion
  • 161st Airfield Security Battalion
  • 98th Air Technical Battalion

• 250th Air Defence Missile Brigade
  • Command Company
  • 1st Air Defence Missile Battalion
  • 2nd Air Defence Missile Battalion
  • 230th Air Defence Self-Propelled Missile Battalion
  • 240th Air Defence Self-Propelled Missile Battalion
  • 310th Air Defence Self-Propelled Missile Battalion

• 126th Air Surveillance, Early Warning and Guidance Brigade
  • Command Company
  • 20th ASEWG Battalion
  • 31st ASEWG Battalion
  • Air Maintenance and Supply Company

Aircraft inventory

Aircraft	Photo	Origin	Type	Variants	In service	Notes
Fighter aircraft
MiG-29M/M2		Russia	MRCA Trainer	MiG-29M MiG-29M2	? ?	An order for at least six units to be confirmed on May 23, 2013.
Mikoyan MiG-29		Soviet Union	Fighter Trainer	MiG-29B / L-18 MiG-29UB / NL-18	3 1	Currently all grounded. Five refurbished and modernized in 2008, one crashed on July 7, 2009.
Mikoyan MiG-21		Soviet Union	Fighter Trainer	MiG-21bis / L-17 MiG-21UM / NL-16	11 7	14 in active service. To be retired in 2018.
Attack aircraft
Soko J-22 Orao		Yugoslavia	Fighter-bomber Trainer Reconnaissance Reconnaissance-trainer	J-22 NJ-22 IJ-22 INJ-22	16 7 8 2	Total of 33. More than half are grounded, less than a dozen have been refurbished and are airworthy.
Utility aircraft
Antonov An-2		Soviet Union	Utility	An-2TD / T-71	1
Antonov An-26		Soviet Union	Transport	An-26 / T-70	8	Two overhauled, the rest of the fleet is grounded indefinitely.
Yakovlev Yak-40		Soviet Union	VIP transport/utility	Yak-40	3	All grounded indefinitely.
Piper PA-34 Seneca		United States	Aerial cartography	PA-34 Seneca V	1
Trainer aircraft
Soko G-4 Super Galeb		Yugoslavia	Fighter-Ground attack Jet trainer	G-4 / N-62	25	Half are grounded. Some have been refurbished, unknown number of aircraft to be modernized in 2013-2015, according to the budget for the coming years
Utva 75		Yugoslavia	Basic trainer	V-53	12	To be replaced with Lasta 95.
Lasta 95		Serbia	Basic trainer	V-54	5 (out of 15 on order)	Being delivered.
Helicopters
Soko Gazelle		France/Yugoslavia	Utility Reconnaissance Attack Anti-tank	HO-42/45 HI-42 Hera HN-42M Gama HN-45 Gama 2	31 5 15 10	A total of 61. Not all airworthy.
Mi-8/Mi-17		Soviet Union	Transport	Mi-8T / HT-40 Mi-17 / HT-48	7 2

Air Defence

Model	Image	Type	Origin	Variants	In service
2K12 Kub		Surface-to-air missile	Soviet Union	Kub-M	80
S-125 Neva/Pechora		Surface-to-air missile	Soviet Union	Neva-M1T	12 systems , 32 launchers

Modernization

The MoD of Serbia is considering the purchase of new multirole combat aircraft capable of performing the tasks of air superiority, ground strike, as well as reconnaissance, said in an interview with the Serbian newspaper "Evening News" Air Force Commander Major-General Dragan Katanich. The type and number of aircraft is currently not defined. Request for Information (RFI) have been sent out to the manufacturers of the following aircraft: the Lockheed Martin F-16 "Fighting Falcon", the Boeing F/A-18E/F "Super Hornet", the EADS Eurofighter Typhoon, the Saab Gripen, the Mikoyan MiG-29M, the Sukhoi Su-30 and the Dassault Rafale. SAAB did not respond to Serbia's Request For Information (RFI). Although no RFI was submitted to Chinese companies, CAC presented it's J10A and FC-1 aircraft to a Serbian delegation that was visiting China. Requests for Proposal (RFP) have been sent out to the companies which answered the previous RFI, namely Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Dassault, Mikoyan, Sukhoi and EADS. No RFP has been sent out to the Chinese CAC.

From information released in 2013, Serbia is planning to purchase 12 or 16 MiG-29M/M2 multi-role fighters, S-300PMU-2 surface-to-air missile systems, as well as Pantsir-S1 and Buk-M2E air defence systems.

Aircraft markings

The Serbian Air Force roundel was officially adopted in 2006. The roundel is an adapted version of the former Royal Yugoslav Air Force roundel which ceased to exist in 1943. It is composed of a blue trim on the outside rim followed inward by the Serbian national colours red, blue and white, with a white cross in the centre with blue trim.

The Air Force also uses a low visibility roundel of the same design only replacing the traditional roundel colours of red, blue and white with two grey colour variations of light and dark for contrast, these roundels have most recently been placed on refurbished MiG-29s. Most other aircraft continue to use the standard coloured roundel.

Serbian Air Force Centennial

The Serbian Air Force observed its centennial anniversary celebration on September 2, 2012, marking one-hundred years of its existence by hosting an international air show organized by the Ministry of Defense as the central manifestation. The air show featured representatives from 16 countries around the world and 27 kinds of aircraft.

Ranks

Main article: Military ranks of Serbia

	Generals				Officers
Ranks in Serbian	Генерал General	Генерал-Потпуковник General-Potpukovnik	Генерал-Мајор General-Major	Бригадни Генерал Brigadni General	Пуковник Pukovnik	Потпуковник Potpukovnik	Мајор Major	Капетан Kapetan	Поручник Poručnik	Потпоручник Potporučnik
Ranks	General	Lieutenant Colonel General	Major General	Brigadier General	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant

	NCOs					Soldiers
Ranks in Serbian	Заставник I класе Zastavnik I klase	Заставник Zastavnik	Старији Водник I класе Stariji Vodnik I klase	Старији Водник Stariji Vodnik	Водник Vodnik	Млађи водник Mlađi vodnik	Десетар Desetar	Разводник Razvodnik
Ranks	Warrant Officer, 1st class	Warrant Officer	Staff Sergeant 1st class	Staff Sergeant	Sergeant	Lance Sergeant	Corporal	Airman First Class

See also

• Yugoslav Air Force
• Yugoslav Royal Air Force
• Air Force of Serbia and Montenegro

References

Further reading

• Air Forces Monthly Magazine, Aeroflight
• Vazduhoplovstvo Srbije na Solunskom frontu 1916-1918, Vladeta D. Vojinovic, 2000
• Srpska Avijatika 1912-1918; MJV, Sky, EUROSINI; 1992

External links

• Official homepage
• Republic of Serbia - Ministry of Defence