The Aviation Magazine No.55 March-April 2018 edition

D uring 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 fight‐ ers—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 RNLAF 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 defences downed a USAF F‐16C and an F‐117 Nighthawk, the first stealth aircraft ever to be shot down in com‐ bat. The NATO raids essentially decimated the Yugoslav Air Force, and after the war a few remaining fighter aircraft which were hidden during the war formed the backbone of the Serbian Air Force among them four MiG ‐29s, one MiG‐29UB and three MiG‐29B and a few ancient MiG‐21BiSz but by 2017 only one remained operational. In 2016, Prime Minister of Serbia Alesander Vucic, appraoched Vladimir Putin, as Russia is part Slav alliance, and Putin offered the Serbs a total of six used aircraft: one MiG‐29A 9.12A and three MiG‐29S single seat ver‐ sions 9.13 and two MiG‐29UB two‐seater versions 9.51. Major repairs and upgrades are carried out by Serbian MOMA aircraft factory at Serbian expense. The Serbian Fulcrums to be repaired in 2018 will also be upgraded. Multi‐variable combat aircraft have the same MiG‐29SMT (9.17 version) capabilities, including the R‐77 (NATO Code: AA‐12 Adder), similar to the US AIM‐120B/C BVR missile. Additionally, Belarus offered and sold eight MiG‐29 fighter jets, which will be upgraded at the Baranovicsi re‐ pair‐maintenance factory to the MiG‐29BM and UBM variants. On October 3, 2017, an AN‐124 landed at Batajnica Air Base carrying the first two MiG‐29 and on October 20 at the Szloboda (Freedom) event, Prime Minister of Serbia and other state leaders and military attaches before Sergey Sojgú the Russian Defense Minister handed over the static aircraft. Russia also has donated 30 BRDM‐2 self‐propelled scout vehicles and 30 T‐72 tanks. During the event only the BDRM‐2 were on display

The Aviation Magazine No.55 March-April 2018 edition | Page 12