Montenegrin Air Force
| Montenegrin Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazdušna odbrana - V i PVO | |
 | |
| Founded | 2006[1] |
| Country |  Montenegro |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Size | 19 aircraft [1] |
| Command HQ | Podgorica |
| Commanders | |
| Lieutenant colonel | Nenad Pavlović |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |   |
| Fin flash |  |
| Roundels (2006–2018) | .svg){kind=small}  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Helicopter | Soko Gazelle Gama |
| Patrol | Soko G-4 Super Galeb |
| Trainer | Utva 75 |
The Montenegrin Air Force (Montenegrin: Vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazdušna odbrana - V i PVO) is the air arm of the Military of Montenegro. The aircraft marking of the Montenegrin Air Force consist of a red-on-gold roundel, currently being the sole air arm using the latter colour in its official insignia.
History
The Kingdom of Montenegro entered the era of flight with the opening of its first airport in the capital city of Cetinje. Its military followed suite with the use of aircraft in the Balkan Wars and in World War I.
After the Second World War, Montenegro was absorbed into Socialist Yugoslavia, and the armed forces came under a new command. In 1991 the country was dissolved, thus the republics of Serbia and Montenegro established the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Air Force was renamed the Air Force of Serbia and Montenegro, (also known as the Air Force of Yugoslavia). In spring of 1999 they suffered heavy losses in NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, during the Kosovo War.[2] After years of political turmoil, Montenegro declared its independence in June 2006, putting an end to the Serbia and Montenegro state union.[3][4]
Aircraft inventory
Following the dissolution of the state union of Serbia and Montenegro, the newly formed Republic of Montenegro was left with a considerable number of aircraft at the Golubovci airbase, more than required for its own needs.[1] After the break-up, speculation arose regarding the division of the aircraft, but the Serbian Ministry of Defense issued a statement declaring that the eventual division of the fleet was not in either country's interest. However, a total of 11 G-4 Super Galebs, of which 8 are airworthy, were still located at the base in 2008. An official decision regarding their fate has not been made, but most likely they will not be operated by Montenegro due to expensive operating costs.[1] The four Utva 75 trainer aircraft have a better chance to become operational, although no decision about them has been made yet.[1]
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Current inventory
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helicopters | ||||||
| Bell 412 | United States | utility | 412EPI | 3[5][6] | ||
| Aérospatiale Gazelle | France | utility / scout | 341/42 | 5[7] | manufactured under license by SOKO | |
Retired
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat Aircraft | ||||||
| Soko G-4 | Yugoslavia | attack / jet trainer | 15 | placed in storage, in 2012 | ||
| Trainer aircraft | ||||||
| Utva 75 | Yugoslavia | trainer | 4[8] | retired from service, in 2012 | ||
| Helicopters | ||||||
| Mil Mi-8 | Soviet Union | transport / utility | Mi-8T | 4[9] | retired from service, in 2012 | |
References
- ^ a b c d e Force Report: Montenegrin Air Force, Air Forces Monthly magazine, December 2008 issue, p. 38
- ^ "World Air Forces 2004 pg. 83". flightglobal.com. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ "Serbia-Montenegro Federal Republic of Yugoslavia". globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ "Republic of Yugoslavia Air Force". globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ "Montenegtrin Bell 412 handover". Air Forces Monthly. Key Publishing: pg. 10. June 2018.
{{cite journal}}:|page=has extra text (help) - ^ "U CG stigli novi višenamjenski helikopteri, premijer Marković: Uložili smo novac u sigurnost naših građana" (Press release) (in Montenegrin). Ministry of Defence of Montenegro. 10 September 2018. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
- ^ "World Air Forces 2018". Flightglobal Insight. 2018. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
- ^ Montenegrin Air Force [Vazdušne snage Crne Gore] Archived 2018-02-14 at the Wayback Machine at globalsecurity.org
- ^ "World Air Forces 2008 pg, 68". Flightglobal I. 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2014.[permanent dead link]
