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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 in 1912, it is one of the oldest air forces in the world.^[1]

History

In 1912, a group of Serbian officers were sent to France for flight training. Serbia ordered several Blériot XI-2 aircraft by act of Marshal Radomir Putnik. Subsequently, the military at this time established its air force command centre in the city Niš. This made Serbia, one of the first 15 states in the world to have an air force. On 30 September 1915, during World War I, Serbian Air Defence members shot down the first enemy aircraft over the city of Kragujevac. This day was, by the act of King Aleksandar I, proclaimed the Air Defence Artillery Division’s day. Front-line Serbian-French joint escadrilles formed in Thessaloniki, and the government formed the first and second fighter escadrilles in 1918.

The Serbian Air Defense is the only military force in history to have shot down a stealth aircraft.^[2] This occurred during the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. The 3rd battalion of the 250th Air Defense Brigade shot down a F-117 stealth fighter using a S-125 Neva missile.^[2]

General information

Role

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

Equipment

Serbian MiG-29 mid takeoff

Aircraft

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 outbreak of war.

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 Since the Agreement on Sub-Regional Arms Control was enacted in 1996, dozens of J-22s, J-21s and G-2s have been withdrawn from service.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

Serbia 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.^[3]

Radars

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

Multirole combat aircraft acquisition

The air force has declared its intent to purchase new multirole combat aircraft to replace its aging fleet of MiG-21s, still serving as Serbia's primary fighter. Officials have not yet announced a tender but have expressed interest in several aircraft.^[4][5][6]

Organization

Structure of the Air Force and Air Defence

• 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^[7]
  • 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^[8]
  • 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^[9]
  • 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^[10]
  • Command Company
  • 20th ASEWG Battalion
  • 31st ASEWG Battalion
  • Air Maintenance and Supply Company

Aircraft inventory

Aircraft	Photo	Origin	Type	Variants	In service[11]	Notes
Fighter aircraft
MiG-29		Soviet Union	Fighter Trainer	MiG-29B / L-18 MiG-29UB / NL-18	3 1
MiG-21		Soviet Union	Fighter Trainer Recon	MiG-21bis / L-17 MiG-21UM / NL-16	31
J-22		Yugoslavia	Attack Attack – Trainer	J-22 NJ-22	33
Utility aircraft
An-2		Soviet Union	Utility	An-2TD1 / T-71	1
An-26		Soviet Union	Transport	An-26B / T-70	6	2 refurbished, others grounded.
Yak-40		Soviet Union	VIP Transport	Yak-40	2
Piper Seneca V		United States	Aerial cartography	PA-34 V	1[12]
Trainer aircraft
Utva 75		Yugoslavia	Basic trainer	V-53	14	To be replaced with Lasta 95.[13]
G-4		Yugoslavia	Ground attack Jet trainer	G-4 / N-62 G-4Š / N-62Š G-4T / N-62T G-4M / N-62M	21 2 1 1
Lasta 95		Serbia	Basic trainer	V-54	2 (of 15)[14]	under delivery
Helicopters
Soko Gazelle		France/ Yugoslavia	Attack Utility	HN-42M/45 HO-42/HI-42/HO-45	61
Mi-8/Mi-17		Soviet Union	Transport	Mi-8T / HT-40 Mi-17 / HT-48	7 2	5 Mi-8s and 2 Mi-17s refurbished.[15]

Air Defence

Model	Image	Type	Origin	Variants
2K12 Kub		Surface to air missile	Soviet Union	Kub-M
S-125 Neva/Pechora		Surface to air missile	Soviet Union	Neva-M1T

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.

Ranks

	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

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

References

• 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

• Serbian Ministry of Defence
• Official homepage

Serbian Armed Forces   Commander-in-chief • Minister of Defence • Chief of the General Staff Commands: Army Command •Air Force and Air Defence Command • Training Command See also: Military history of Serbia