Serbian Air Force and Air Defence
Serbian Air Force and Air Defence | |
---|---|
Ратно ваздухопловство и противваздухопловна одбрана Војске Србије | |
Lasta 95 | |
Transport | C-295 |
The Serbian Air Force and Air Defence (Serbian Cyrillic: Ратно ваздухопловство и противваздухопловна одбрана Војске Србије, romanized: Ratno vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazduhoplovna odbrana Vojske Srbije, lit. 'War Aviation and Anti-Aircraft Defence of the Serbian Armed Forces'), is the air force of Serbia and service branch of the Serbian Armed Forces. Its mission is to guard and protect the sovereignty of Serbian airspace, and jointly with the Serbian Army, to protect territorial integrity of the country.
Serbian Air Force was established in 1912, thus making Serbia one of the first fifteen states in the world to have an air force. It was subsequently absorbed into the air forces of various Yugoslav states between 1918 and 2006.[2]
History
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 Lieutenant Kosta Miletić (1874–1953), trained as a balloon pilot at the Technical Aeronautical School in Saint Petersburg, Russia, from 1901 to 1902.[3][4] On the recommendation of Miletić, the Royal Serbian Army posed messenger pigeon stations and bought two free spherical and one tied kite balloon from the August Ridinger company from German city of Augsburg. At the reception ceremony, on 19 April 1909, Kosta Miletić flew a spherical balloon called "Srbija". One balloon was provided from Russia. A gas chamber was ordered from the Dillmann company in Berlin, and a field winch from Saint Petersburg. A hydrogen unit was provided from the Swiss company Oerlikon. The equipment was delivered to Serbia in 1909 and 1910.[citation needed]
The first competition for cadet airmen was opened in 1911, and in the following year the first class of Serbian pilots started their flying training in France and got the rank of pilot. They finished the course at the beginning of the
Balkan Wars
The First Balkan War broke out in October 1912; Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia waged it against the
After Bulgaria attacked Serbia at Bregalnica, 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.
World War I
General mobilization in the summer of 1914 found the Serbian Aeroplane Wing not well prepared. The Aeroplane Wing had only 9 aeroplanes of which 7 were in flying condition. Five planes and three pilots were relocated to the auxiliary Dabića airfield. From that airfield, Captain Živojin Stanković and 2nd Lieutenant Miodrag Tomić on 13 August 1914 commenced their first reconnaissance flights in the
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.
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).
World War II
The attacking forces engaged in the
Socialist Yugoslavia
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 (such as German
Yugoslav Wars
In June 1991 the Slovenes resistance to re-imposition of federal control over Slovenia rapidly escalated into an armed conflict with Yugoslav People's Army. During the
1999 NATO bombing
An important portion of the
Missions
Two primary missions of the Serbian Air Force and Air Defence are: maintaining airspace dominance over the country (including intercepting and eliminating airspace violators) and providing air support and transport for ground forces. Other important role is responding to natural disasters.
Structure
The Serbian Air Force and Air Defence consists of four brigades, two independent battalions directly attached to the Air Force and Air Defence Command, as well as the Aeronautical Overhaul Institute and Air Medical Institute. There are three operating air bases: Batajnica Air Base, Lađevci Air Base and Niš Air Base. In addition other bases (Jakovo, Zuce, Pančevo, Kragujevac, Novi Sad) house air defence units. Long-range surveillance radar station is located at Murtenica.
- Air Force and Air Defence Command
- 210th Signal Battalion (Belgrade)
- 333rd Engineer Battalion (Pančevo)
- 204th Air Brigade
- 101st Fighter Squadron (Batajnica Air Base)
- 138th Transport Squadron (Batajnica Air Base)
- 252nd Training Squadron (Batajnica Air Base)
- 890th Mixed Helicopter Squadron (Batajnica Air Base)
- 177th Air Defence Artillery Missile Battalion (Batajnica Air Base)
- 24th Air Technical Battalion (Batajnica Air Base)
- 17th Air Base Security Battalion (Batajnica Air Base)
- 98th Air Brigade
- 241st Fighter-Bomber Squadron (Lađevci Air Base)
- 714th Anti-armor Helicopter Squadron (Lađevci Air Base)
- 119th Mixed Helicopter Squadron (Niš Air Base)
- 353rd Reconnaissance Squadron (Lađevci Air Base)
- 98th Air Defence Artillery Missile Battalion (Lađevci Air Base)
- 98th Air Technical Battalion (Lađevci Air Base)
- 98th Air Base Security Battalion (Lađevci Air Base)
- 161st Air Base Security Battalion (Niš Air Base)
- 250th Air Defence Missile Brigade
- Command Battery (Belgrade)
- 1st Air Defence Missile Battalion (Zuce)
- 2nd Air Defence Missile Battalion (Pančevo)
- 3rd Air Defence Missile Battalion (Jakovo)
- 230th Air Defence Self-Propelled Missile Battalion (Niš)
- 240th Air Defence Self-Propelled Missile Battalion (Novi Sad)
- 310th Air Defence Self-Propelled Missile Battalion (Kragujevac)
- 126th Air Surveillance, Early Warning and Guidance Brigade
- Command Company (Belgrade)
- 20th ASEWG Battalion (Batajnica Air Base)
- 31st ASEWG Battalion (Lađevci Air Base)
- Air Maintenance and Supply Battalion (Batajnica Air Base)
- Aeronautical Overhaul Institute "Moma Stanojlović"
- Aeromedical Institute
Equipment
Aircraft
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Combat Aircraft | |||||
MiG-29
|
Russia | multirole | MiG-29SM | 14[17] | 3 used for conversion training |
Soko J-22 | Yugoslavia | attack | J-22B | 17[17] | |
Transport | |||||
Airbus C-295 | Spain | transport | C-295W | 2[17] | |
Helicopters
| |||||
Mil Mi-24 | Russia | attack | Mi-35 | 15[18][19] | |
Mil Mi-17 | Russia | utility | Mi-8/17 | 10[17] | |
Airbus H145 | France | utility | H145M | 5[17] | 9 on order[17] |
Aérospatiale Gazelle | France | scout / anti-armor | 341/42 | 25[17] | manufactured under license by SOKO |
Trainer Aircraft
| |||||
Soko G-2 | Yugoslavia | light attack | 1[17] | ||
Soko G-4 | Yugoslavia | jet trainer | G-4M | 20[17] | |
Utva Lasta 95 | Serbia | trainer | Lasta 95V | 14[17] | |
UAV | |||||
CASC Rainbow | China | UCAV | CH-95 / 92 | 3 / 6[20][21] | |
Utva Pegaz | Serbia | UCAV | 12 on order[22][23] | ||
AD Orbiter | Israel | UAV | 10[24] |
Aircraft previously operated by the Serbian Air Force were the MiG-21, Soko J-21 Jastreb, Soko G-2 Galeb, Dornier Do 28, and the Antonov An-26.[25][26][27]
Air Defence
Name | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SAM | |||||
HQ-22 | China | long-range | FK-3 | 4 batteries[28] | |
Pantsir | Russia | medium-range | Pantsir S1 | 1 battery[29] | 2 batteries on order[30] |
S-125 Neva | Soviet Union | medium-range | Neva M1T | 8 batteries[31] | |
2K12 Kub | Soviet Union | medium-range | Kub M2 | 12 batteries[32] |
Radars
Name | Origin | Type | Range | In service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
3D | |||||
Thales GM400 | France | surveillance | long-range | 4[33] | |
Thales GM200 | France | surveillance and target acquisition | medium-range | 6[34] | |
AN/TPS-70 | United States | surveillance | medium-range | 5[35] | |
Thales GM60 | France | target acquisition | short-range | 12[36] | |
Thales GS-40 | France | surveillance and target acquisition | short-range | [37][38] | |
2D | |||||
Marconi S-605/654 | United Kingdom | surveillance | medium-range | [39] | |
Marconi S-613 | United Kingdom | altitude measurement | [39] | ||
SAM components | |||||
JSG-100 | China | surveillance | long-range | 4[40] | part of HQ-22 battery |
H-200 | China | target acquisition | long-range | 4[41] | part of HQ-22 battery |
P-18 | Soviet Union | surveillance | medium-range | part of S-125 Neva battery[42] | |
P-40 | Soviet Union | surveillance | medium-range | part of 2K12 Kub battery |
Ranks
Officers
The rank insignia of
Rank group | General/Flag/Air officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Serbian Air Force and Air Defence[43] |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Генерал General
|
Генерал-потпуковник General-potpukovnik |
Генерал-мајор General-major |
Бригадни генерал Brigadni general |
Пуковник Pukovnik
|
Потпуковник Potpukovnik
|
Мајор Major |
Капетан прве класе Kapetan prve klase |
Капетан Kapetan |
Поручник Poručnik |
Потпоручник Potporučnik |
Enlisted
The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Serbian Air Force and Air Defence[43] |
No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 |
Војник Vojnik |
See also
- Yugoslav Royal Air Force
- Yugoslav Air Force
- Air Force of Serbia and Montenegro
References
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- ^ a b Slobodan Kljakić (2 September 2012). "Sto godina srpskog vojnog vazduhoplovstva" (in Serbian). Politika. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
- ISBN 9781576073452. Retrieved 18 January 2017 – via Google Books.
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- ^ L'homme-vent, special issue of L'Ami de Pézenas, 2010
- ^ Boris Ciglic (Autumn 2013). Premier Serbian Fighters. Cross and Cockade International Vol 44/3.
- ^ "Members of the Royal Yugoslavian Air Force crews". armyaircorps-376bg.com. Archived from the original on 13 November 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
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- ISBN 978-1481004107.
- ISBN 978-1-84603-748-1.
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- ^ "Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 Fulcrum: Losses & Ejections". ejection-history.org.uk. 17 October 2008. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
- ^ "Serb discusses downing of stealth". USA Today. 26 October 2005. Archived from the original on 8 March 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hoyle, Craig (2023). "World Air Forces 2024". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Serbia buys Cypriot helicopter gunships to bolster air force". Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ "[POSLEDNJA VEST] Na Batajnici prikazani helikopteri Mi-35P nabavljeni sa Kipra, kupljena 22 Talesova radara, najavljena kupovina još Erbasovih helikoptera". 23 November 2023.
- ^ "RTS :: Društvo :: Prikazan dron CH-95 – u vazduhu može da ostane do 20 sati i da ponese 200 kilograma ubojitih sredstava". www.rts.rs. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ^ "Na Batajnici prikazane kineske izviđačko-borbene bespilotne letelice CH-92A, kupljeno 6 letelica sa 18 raketa" (4 July 2020). Tango Six. 4 July 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
- ^ ""BAJRAKTARI" STIŽU U NAŠU VOJSKU 2023? Nagovešteno da će prvobitni zahtev biti proširen na veći broj dronova". NOVOSTI (in Serbian). Retrieved 9 September 2022.
- ^ Tanjug (15 August 2022). "Vučić: "Nora" najveća snaga Vojske Srbije". Nezavisne novine (in Serbian). Retrieved 9 September 2022.
- ^ Kostić, Miloš (25 October 2010). "Bespilotna letelica Orbiter u Vojsci Srbije". Maketarski Klub Narednik Mihailo Petrović Niš. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ^ www.novimagazin.rs (25 January 2012). "Stigao novi avion za Vojsku Srbije". Novi magazin (in Serbian). Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ "Legendarni MiG 21 Vojske Srbije završio radni vek posle skoro 60 godina". N1 (in Serbian). 21 May 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ "Vojsci Srbije isporučen i drugi transporter, zamena za čuveni sovjetski "Antonov-26"" [Another transporter was delivered to the Serbian Army, a replacement for the famous Soviet "Antonov-26"] (in Serbian). Radio Television of Serbia. 15 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ^ "China makes semi-secret delivery of missiles to Serbia". AP NEWS. 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
- ^ "Infografika: Šta sve može Pancir-S1 isporučen Srbiji".
- ^ Kostić, Vojkan (18 April 2022). "Avijacije Balkana: održavanje naoružanja ruskog porekla postaje nemoguća misija?". Balkansec.net (in Bosnian). Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ sisteme, Vojska Srbije. "Војска Србије – Наоружање Ваздухопловства и противваздухопловне одбране – Ракетни системи – Ракетни систем ПВО С-125М НЕВА-М". vs.rs. Serbian Armed Forces :: Centar za komandno-informacione. Archived from the original on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ sisteme, Vojska Srbije. "Војска Србије – Наоружање Ваздухопловства и противваздухопловне одбране – Ракетни системи – Ракетни систем ПВО КУБ-М". vs.rs. Serbian Armed Forces :: Centar za komandno-informacione. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ Vojinovic, Petar (23 November 2023). "[POSLEDNJA VEST] Na Batajnici prikazani helikopteri Mi-35P nabavljeni sa Kipra, kupljena 22 Talesova radara, najavljena kupovina još Erbasovih helikoptera". Tango Six (in Serbian). Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ^ "[POSLEDNJA VEST] Na Batajnici prikazani helikopteri Mi-35P nabavljeni sa Kipra, kupljena 22 Talesova radara, najavljena kupovina još Erbasovih helikoptera". 23 November 2023.
- ^ "Ekskluzivno: Jugoimport SDPR kupuje vojne radare od Slovenije". 15 December 2015.
- ^ "[POSLEDNJA VEST] Na Batajnici prikazani helikopteri Mi-35P nabavljeni sa Kipra, kupljena 22 Talesova radara, najavljena kupovina još Erbasovih helikoptera". 23 November 2023.
- ^ Banković, Živojin (24 April 2023). "Granit 2023: Najzanimljvije premijere prikaza, besposadne letelice, sistemi PVO, radari, helikopteri". Tango Six (in Serbian). Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ^ Valpolini, Paolo (5 October 2023). "Partner 2023 - Serbia aims at enhancing its ground-based air defence (GBAD)". EDR Magazine. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ^ a b "126. Brigada VOJIN | Vojska Srbije".
- ^ Vukosavljević, Zoran (2 May 2022). "[EKSKLUZIVNO] Prvi detalji i opis karakteristika: Prišli smo većini vozila u sastavu jedne baterije PVO sistema FK-3". Tango Six (in Serbian). Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ^ Vukosavljević, Zoran (2 May 2022). "[EKSKLUZIVNO] Prvi detalji i opis karakteristika: Prišli smo većini vozila u sastavu jedne baterije PVO sistema FK-3". Tango Six (in Serbian). Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ^ "Unconventional Weapon". Air & Space Magazine. 1 January 2008. Archived from the original on 14 November 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
- ^ a b "ЧИНОВИ У ВОЈСЦИ СРБИЈЕ". vs.rs (in Serbian). Serbian Armed Forces. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
Bibliography
- Aleksandar M. Ognjević; Ognjan M. Petrović; Nenad M. Miklušev, eds. (2015). Serbian Air Force Memorial – Miodrag P. Tomic. Leadensky Books. ISBN 978-86-917625-1-3.
- Ciglić, Boris (2009). Wings of Serbia 1912 – 1920. Infinitas d.o.o. ISBN 978-86-6045-005-2.
- Nikolić, Djordie & Ognjević, Akeksandar M. (2021). Dornier: The Yugoslav Saga 1926-2007. Lublin, Poland: Kagero Publishing. ISBN 978-83-66673-61-8.
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
- Official homepage (archived)
- Republic of Serbia – Ministry of Defence
- Who was Sgt. Mihailo Petrovic?
- Serbian Air Force Memorial – Miodrag P. Tomić
- Story of the two Biplane fighters: Popovic and Jermakov
- The Yugoslav Detachment of the 376th BG 512 sq
- B-24 42-73065, RCL #23
- Spit Mk.IX c (GO-Z,MH 838) model of Captain Života Bosković (African Eagle) from 94 sq
- To whom does the man called Zivota Boskovic belong?
- Wings Over Tsavo
- Jak-1 in Yugoslav Service
- AP Archive: Serb (Yugoslav) Air Force on Standbay (1999) on YouTube
- Dogfights over Belgrade 1999
- 2 May
- 4 May – The Fall of Yugoslav (Serbian) Squad Leader ″Pure laine″
- The Meaning of Life – Serbian Air Force