History of the Serbian Air Force

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The history of the Serbian Air Force begins in 1912, when the air force was created and first aircraft were purchased. This made Serbia one of the first 15 states in the world to have an air force. Since that time, Serbian Air Force (in its various forms) has numbered thousands of pilots, more than five thousand aircraft, four types of missile mid-range systems, a number of small-range missile systems and some 15 radar types.

Kingdom of Serbia

The idea to form air forces in the Royal Serbian Army was first mentioned in the General Army Formation Act from 2 August 1893. This act envisioned that within each division of the Army be formed one air force balloon company.

The first aviation pioneer in Serbia was Major Kosta Miletić who was trained as a

The first competition for cadet airmen was opened in May 1911, and in the following year the first class of Serbian pilots started their flying training in

Balkan Wars

The

In February 1913, the Royal Serbian Army High Command formed a separate Coastal (Primorski) Army Corps in order to assist the Montenegrin army on the Shkodra front. Air support for this formation was assigned to the newly established "Coastal Airplane Squad", the first Serbian air combat unit, with 3 airplanes and 4 pilots under the command of major Kosta Miletić. In March 1913, this combat air unit was relocated near the frontline at a newly built auxiliary airfield in the village of Barbalusi. The first

The commander was Major Kosta Miletić, and it comprised an Aircraft Squadron which counted 12 military aircraft, the Balloon Company, the

After Bulgaria attacked at Bregalnica in Serbia, the Second Balkan War began. The first reconnaissance mission had been performed by Miodrag Tomić, and after that Tomić and Stanković took turns and during a period of a month and a half, as the war with Bulgarians lasted, the two airmen performed 21 reconnaissance missions, of which Tomić did 14 flights. During one flight above Kriva Palanka, Tomić encountered a Bulgarian plane in the air, but neither one had weapons and they just greeted one another by hand waving.

The first six military pilots were trained in France. They finished the course in the beginning of the

General mobilization in the summer of 1914 found Serbian Aeroplane Wing not well prepared. Aeroplane Wing had only 9 aeroplanes of which 7 in flying condition. Five planes and three pilots were relocated to Dabića airfield. From that airfield, Captain Živojin Stanković and 2nd Lieutenant

Serbia formed on 8 June 1915 one of the first air defense and air warning units in the world. This was due to the massive onslaught of German and Austro-Hungarian aircraft. The first airplane shot down by ground fire unit in World War I happened over skies of Serbia. During the German air attack on city of Kragujevac on 30 September 1915, air defense artillerist Radivoje-Raka Lutovac from "Tanasko Rajić" Regiment, shot his first hit, by his artillery modified gun, a Farman airplane with two crew members. Without any sophisticated cannon sights, he was aiming through the bore of his gun.

During the time of 1914–1915, the first Serbian-made planes were produced. They had been made mostly by craftsmen in various furniture factories. These early Serbian planes were used for training, since they were underpowered. While construction was Serbian, airplane motors were French-made. This aircraft design had the name "Pingvin" or "Penguin class". Only few of these were ever made. Although modest, this domestic design was inspiration for creating Serbian aviation industry after the World War I.

In the course of the Austro-Hungarian offensive and the retreating of the Serbian army, the French and Serbian pilots succeeded to stop the movements and intentions of the enemy. This information was very valuable to Serbian Supreme Command, who were retreating under the constant and strong pressure of the enemy who also was helped by the Bulgarian Army. The plan for retreating was that the soldiers together with the civilians would go through

Although Serbia was occupied in late 1915, by German, Austro-Hungarian and Bulgarian armies, the Serbian government and armed forces refused surrender. The entire Serbian army withdrew through Albania, into Greece, where they together with French and British forces created the Thessaloniki front.

French pilots had left the Shkodra area in December 1915. When the last aircraft was destroyed, Serbian pilots together with the Serbian Army had crossed to Corfu Island. In the period of World War I, Serbian pilots had succeeded to show the importance of the military aviation to all ministers and to secure the place of aviation in its modernized version. The French squadron has improved the opinion about the Air Force because it has represented the secure collaborator in all phases of battle. In the second part of World War I on the Thessaloniki front line, the Air Force had played a big part for it was equipped and armored with modern weapons and modern aircraft. As the war industry grew really fast, the Serbian Air Force obtained modern aircraft. After the re-organization in Corfu, the Serbian Air Force squadron had been moved to Mikra; not far away from the Thessaloniki. The material conditions of the Royal Serbian Army caused that all available, trained, and capable aviation staff be referenced to five French squadrons. These squadrons were added to Serbia on the Allied Forces Conference in Paris. The Serbian Supreme Command wanted to have certain level of independence over its own Air Force and it secured the independence under Command of the Serbian squadron in Mikra. There was also a strong will for the formation of an independent Serbian Aviation Squadron. These five Serbian-French squadrons formed the "Serbian Aviation" which was working as an integral part of the Royal Serbian Army. Allied forces squadrons (such as British, Italian and Greek) who actually had their own aviation units, also helped the formation. In the certain phases of World War I, the Central Force Air Forces succeeded to establish the dominance in the air, but at the end of World War I (especially at the time of breaking out the Thessaloniki's front line), allied forces command had realized the value of this course, and the Serbian-French units, together with the allied forces Air Forces, had succeeded defeating enemy. The summer of 1918 was period of the absolute control of the sky over this area by the allied forces. Successive and strong break up which Serbian divisions did as well as their break up in the Vardar Valley, caused the Bulgarian capitulation when the Royal Serbian Army after only 45 days had succeeded to move the enemy lines for 600 kilometers, to be the winner for the third time in this, Austria-Hungary was defeated. On the Thessaloniki's front Serbian Air Force did 3,000 combat flights, participated at all main operations and receipted the end of World War I in the associated unit which counted 60 modern aircraft. The staff of this unit consisted of 70 pilots, 40 reconnaissance pilots, and other aviation specialists. This aviation had staff and equipment with enormous experience.

By the order dated 17 January 1918, the two Serbian squadrons were to be formed and staffed with Serbian personnel. In April 1918 1st Serbian Aviation Squadron became operational with 12 Dorand AR type I A2 and 3 Nieuport 24 C1 from French-Serbian composite Squadron AR 521 and commanded by French officer (Serb national) lieutenant Mihajlo Marinković. During May and June, the French-Serbian composed 2nd Serbian Squadron became operational. Captain Branko Vukosavljević was the first Serbian squadron commander who was appointed to lead to 1st Serbian Squadron in August 1918.

Kingdom of Yugoslavia

The period between two world wars was marked by a significant growth of Air Force, accompanied by the production of modern and sophisticated aircraft, with then ongoing organizational-formation changes within the Air Force. With the establishment of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, an Army Aviation Department was formed out of Serbian and ex-Austro-Hungarian (Croatian and Slovenian) personnel. In 1923, a major initiative was launched to replace World War I era aircraft still in service with more modern designs. Contracts were placed abroad and with newly established local factories. The Aviation Department was renamed the Aviation Command and placed directly under the control of the Ministry of Military and Navy. In 1930, the Aviation Command was renamed the Royal Yugoslav Air Force (Jugoslovensko Kraljevsko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo).

As of 1924, 2 August, the Saint Elijah feast-day was observed as the patron saint day of Yugoslav Air Forces, with the

The attacking forces engaged in the

After World War II the Air Force underwent several developmental stages, the first major air force modernization being performed from 1953 to 1959. Aircraft made in the West are introduced thus broaching the era of jet aviation. With the forming of first helicopter squadron in 1954 the chopper units were also incorporated within the reorganised Air Forces branch, renamed to

Yugoslav Wars

In June 1991 the Slovenes resistance to re-imposition of federal control over Slovenia rapidly escalated into an armed conflict with Yugoslav Armed Forces. During the

An important portion of the

• History of the Serbian Army
• Military history of Serbia

References