squadron, aviation support
company, air surveillance and
reporting centre, signals platoon,
two (1st and 2nd) air defence
platoons and a service squad.
For defending vital objects and
infrastructure at ranges up to 2.2
miles (3.5km), the air defence
units are equipped with Bofors
L/70 40mm towed guns coupled
with M85 Žirafa air defence radars
(Ericsson Giraffe M75 radar
mounted on Yugoslav-made FAP
2026 trucks). There are also stocks
of Strela-2M (SA-7 Grail) man-
portable air defence systems
(MANPADS). Under
demilitarisation
initiatives,
Montenegro has
already destroyed
severalhundred 20mm and 40mm towed
guns and 1,500 Strela-2Ms.
Located 7.8 miles (12.5km)
southeast of Podgorica, during
Tito’s Yugoslavia Golubovci was
home to the 172. lovačko-
bombarderski avijacijski
puk – školski, (172.
lbap[š], 172nd
Fighter-bomber
[Training] Aviation
Wing) of the
Yugoslav Air Force
and served as a fast
jet training base for
pilots from Yugoslavia
and Non-Aligned
Movement nations, including
Libya and Zambia. Under an order
of January 20, 1992 the 172.
lbap(š) was transformed into the- avijacijska brigada (172.abr,
172nd Aviation Brigade). The unit
expanded in the early 1990s when
the Yugoslav Air Force transferred
to Golubovci some of its units
and aviation equipment from Pula
and Zadar-Zemunik air bases in
Croatia and Mostar-Ortijes air
base in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In this period, Golubovci also
became home to the Leteće
Zvezde (Flying Stars) and Stršljeni
(Hornets) aerial display teams.
Fleet reductions
The dissolution of the union with
Serbia left the newly independent
Montenegro with all the assets
from the 172.abr at Golubovci.
In total, 41 aircraft becameMontenegrin property on June 3,
2006: 17 G-4 Super Galeb jets
(12 combat-capable N-62 and
five unarmed N-62Š versions),
four piston-engined Utva 75 basic
trainers, five Mi-8T Hip-C transport
helicopters and 15 Gazelle
helicopters. The Gazelles consisted
of seven SA341Hs (six HO-42 utility
and one reconnaissance HI-42
HERA variant) and eight SA342Ls
(two HO-45 utility and six anti-tank
HN-45M GAMA-2 versions with
provision for Malyutka missiles).
Despite the significant quantity
of inherited aircraft, not all were
airworthy – four Mi-8Ts had
been grounded since 2004 while
around half of the G-4 and Gazelle
fleets were also non-airworthy.
Consequently, the fledgling air
arm focused on cost-effective
helicopter operations by utilising
airworthy Gazelle airframes,
some of which replaced their
Serbia and Montenegro Air Force
roundels with the initial version of
the VVCG’s red-on-gold roundel.
At the same time, fixed-wing
pilots retained proficiency with
regular flights in Utva 75 trainers
and – very rarely – in G-4 jets.
The airworthiness of the VVCG’s
G-4 fleet declined continuously
between 2006 and 2009. Serials
23647, 23690 and 23729 were
the last to operate from Golubovci- the very last Super Galeb flight
(23729) took place on September
3, 2010. Earlier that year, on April
14, Montenegro agreed to transfer
Podgorica
GolubovciBosnia and
HerzegovinaMontenegroCroatiaKosovoSerbiaAlbaniaAdriatic SeaAbove: The VVCGs’ two recently arrived, brand new Bell 412EPIs. The aircraft are seen over Montenegro but still wearing the US civilian registrations applied
for their delivery fl ights: N835KB and N835LG, now serials 37033 and 37032 respectively. Uros Podlogar/Montenegrin MoD Below: Seen when he was still deputy
commander of the air force, Lt Col Nenad Pavlović now heads up the VVCG. Montenegrin MoD
portable air defence systems
(MANPADS). Under (MANPADS). Underalready destroyedTito’s Yugoslavia Golubovci was
home to the 172. lovahome to the 172. lova
bombarderski avijacijski
puk – školski, (172.
lbap[š], 172nd
Fighter-bomber
[Training] Aviation
Wing) of the
Yugoslav Air Force
and served as a fast
jet training base for
pilots from Yugoslavia
and Non-Aligned58 // DECEMBER 2018 #369 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com
Force
Report Montenegrin Air Force