should increase to ten. Work on
reactivating them will continue until
there are 14 aircraft – sufficient
to equip a single attack unit,
the 241. lovačko-bombarderska
avijacijska eskadrila (241st Fighter-
Bomber Aviation Squadron) at
Lađevci in central Serbia.
Initially, the Orao’s service life
was timed for 24 years, but in
2010 this was extended to 29
years. Analysis of the aircraft’s
structure indicated that its service
life could be further extended to
40 years. Subsequently, following
review, it was found it could be
taken to 48 years on an individual
basis — adding another cycle of
eight years or 1,000 flight hours
after overhaul. This new lease of
life means that Oraos produced
between 1985 and 1992 could
fly on well into the 2030s.
Work on a modernised Orao
should be completed this year. It
will feature a glass cockpit and
new attack/navigation system.
Tests are expected to last from
2019 to 2020, after which all
aircraft will be similarly upgraded.
Separate to the avionics
improvements, VTI is working
on new guided weapons. On
December 27 last year the
VRVZ-200 missile undertook its
first test-firing. It was launched
from NJ-22 serial 25530, which
was modified with a guidance
panel and screen in the second
cabin. The VRVZ-200 is based on
Serbia’s PRM-200 guided target
designed by VTI in the 1970s for
firing practice. The rocket has been
adapted for combat roles, using
an inertial navigation system for
the first part of its trajectory and
TV guidance in the terminal phase.
The VRVZ-200 is expected to have
a range of 25 miles (40km) from a
launch altitude of 22,965ft (7,000m).
VTI’s VRVZ-240 project integrates
a Russian S-24B 240mm-calibre
unguided rocket with a TV seeker.
It is intended to achieve a range
of up to 6.2 miles (10km) after
launch from 13,123ft (4,000m).
The original S-24B rocket was
introduced to the Yugoslavian
inventory in 1974 and was
used in the 1991-92 civil war.
Work on the Orao has had a
detrimental effect on an earlier
programme to modernise the G-4
Super Galeb jet trainer. A 2007
study for a ‘digitalised’ G-4MD
was intended to invest in modern
avionics to train pilots for a new
generation of multi-role combat
aircraft. In 2011 the defence
ministry asked 11 internationalSerbia’s ‘new’ MiG-29s
The six MiG-29s selected for Serbia by
the Russian Air Force were drawn from
the last home-based frontline unit to
fly the standard version of the aircraft
- the 31st Fighter Aviation Regiment
at Millerovo. After re-equipping
with Su-30SMs, the unit’s remaining
MiG-29s were grounded. The airframes
transferred to the RV i PVO were
temporarily moved to the 116th Combat
Training Centre at Privolzhskiy. Three
izdeliye 9.13 Fulcrum-C aircraft produced
in 1989 were selected, based on their
technical condition and the length of the
remaining TBO. Aircraft RF-93709 was
last overhauled in 2010 and RF-93713
and RF-93717 in 2014. Also selected
was a single 9.12 Fulcrum-A produced in
1989 and overhauled in 2013. The 9.51
Fulcrum-B two-seaters were RF-29166,
produced in 1990 and overhauled
in 2013, and RF-92196, produced
in 1991 and overhauled in 2014.
During October 2016 the six MiGs were
flown to Kubinka and the following
December they were presented to
Serbian officials prior to signing the
contract for the technical work.
The MiGs donated by Russia (listed in
the table above by date of production)
received RV i PVO serials that continue
sequences originally determined for
MiG-29s when the type was firstintroduced to Yugoslavian Air Force
service during 1987-88. Those original
deliveries comprised 14 single-seaters
(18101 to 18114) and a pair of two-
seaters (18301 and 18302). Of these,
ten were destroyed either in the air
or on the ground during NATO’s Allied
Force campaign in 1999, and two in
accidents. The remaining aircraft
are single-seaters 18101, 18102 and
18108 and two-seater 18301.The ex-Russian Fulcrums
Serbian
serialRussian serial
(RF code)c/n Variant Produced18151 ‘14 Blue’ (RF-92185) 2960526364 9.12A 01.1989
18201 ‘04 Blue’ (RF-93709) 2960727445 9.13 07.1989
18202 ‘31 Blue’ (RF-93713) 2960728107 9.13 08.1989
18203 ‘10 Blue’ (RF-93717) 2960728141 9.13 12.1989
18351 ‘101 Blue’ (RF-29166) 50903019679 9.51 10.1990
18352 ‘75 Blue’ (RF-92196) 50903025459 9.51 09.1991A 9.13 ‘Fulcrum-C’, 18202 is the former Russian ‘31 Blue’ donated to Serbia by Moscow last year. Dimitrije Ostojic
Right: No longer used as a basic
trainer, V-53 (Utva-75) 53200 serves
with the 252. školsko trenažna
avijacijska eskadrila at Batajnica for
flight screening. Aleksandar Radić
Left: T-70 (An-26) 71386 (c/n 13904) is
the sole ‘Curl’ in service and the only
fixed-wing transport in the inventory.
In 2017 the Russian defence ministry
offered two surplus An-26s, but it’s
unclear if these will be supplied.
Aleksandar Radić Below: Pilots and
technicians of the 252. školsko
trenažna avijacijska eskadrila have
retrained on the Lasta and routine
tuition will start immediately after
aircraft handover. This is V-54 serial- Aleksandar Radić
http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #362 MAY 2018 // 75Airforces
Intelligence‘In association with ....’