Airforces phantoms at andravida

six G-4s to Serbia (serials 23625,
23626, 23627, 23641, 23644 and
23745), plus two flight simulators,
a process that was successfully
completed in October 2010
when the aircraft were flown to
Batajnica air base, near Belgrade.
Here, they underwent inspection
and maintenance at the Moma
Stanojlović military-aeronautical plant
before integration into the Serbian
Air Force and Air Defence inventory.
Another seven non-airworthy G-4s
were sold to a private company
in Croatia, leaving Montenegro
with only four non-flying airframes
(23647, 23690, 23692 and 23729)

• all built between 1986 and

1989. These are still grounded
      at Golubovci waiting to be
      offered for sale to fund further
      modernisation of the VCG. Serbia
      has reportedly shown interest.
      Further reduction in the VVCG’s
      inventory in the initial four years
      of its existence included the sale
      of four non-serviceable Mi-8T
      transports (12302, 12303, 12354
      and 12361) to Kyrgyzstan. At least
      two entered service with Kyrgyz
      civilian operator AeroStan after
      undergoing a general overhaul in
      Ukraine – 12302 became EX-507
      while 12303 became EX-508. The
      sole remaining Montenegrin Hip-C,
      serial 12310, was kept in reserve for
      some time before finally ending its
      career as a gate guard at Golubovci.
      The Montenegrin fleet of four
      Utva 75 basic trainers (53195,
      53253, 53257 and 53260) was also

inherited from Yugoslavia. One of

these (53253) was involved in the

VVCG’s first serious accident on

September 3, 2008. Maj Bojan

Blagojević and Lt Bojan Popadić

hit power lines and survived after

ditching in Lake Skadar, near

Rudine village. Shortly after, the

remaining aircraft were retired

and were finally sold in 2017.

On June 29, 2010 the VVCG

inventory added a single Cessna

421B Golden Eagle eight-seat light

passenger transport (registered

4O-BRO, ex YU-BRO, c/n 421B-

0266). Built in 1972, it was previously

used for aerial photography by the

Real Estate Authority of Montenegro.

After being grounded for many

years, earlier this year the defence

ministry invested in inspection and

modernisation efforts intended

to return the aircraft to service.

Following maintenance in Serbia, the

Golden Eagle re-joined the VVCG

in late September. It will be used

for pilot training, liaison, medical

transport, aerial surveillance, air

policing exercises and VIP transport.

Gazelle force

The single-engine Gazelle has

always been the backbone of

the VVCG. Lightweight, agile and

cost-effective, it’s proven to be a

reliable platform for pilot training,

liaison, reconnaissance and light

transport duties in Montenegro’s

mountainous landscape. The

type has benefitted from defence

investments – in 2008-09 three

HO-42s (12657, 12671 and 12752)

and a single demilitarised HN-45M

(12943, now re-designated HO-45)

passed a C-2 inspection and

were modernised. The C-2 is a

major maintenance inspection,

conducted when the aircraft

accumulates 4,000 flight hours or

12 years’ calendar time, whichever

occurs first. The helicopters

received Garmin GNS-530 GPS/

navigation/communications

avionics and new transponders

compatible with the International

Civil Aviation Organization

(ICAO) at the Avio Servis Ikar

maintenance centre in Banja

Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Another four Gazelles (HO-42

12631 and 12634, plus HN-45Ms

12938 and 12941) passed their

C-2 inspection in Ikar during

2010-12. Following C-2, the

above-mentioned aircraft were

cleared for operational use until

2021 and 2024, respectively.

Extensive use of the Gazelles

has unfortunately resulted in two

serious accidents. The sole fatal

crash in VVCG history occurred on

September 2, 2011 when HO-42

12752 came down at Luštica, near

the coastal city of Herceg Novi.

The accident was caused by a

technical malfunction and resulted

in the death of instructor pilots Lt

Col Šahbaz Belhadin and Maj Ivan

Obradović and flight technician

Sergeant First Class Vidoje Tomić.

The second accident took place

on June 10, 2016 when anti-tank

HN-45M 12941 crashed in the

area of Komanski Most, in Gornja

Gorica settlement, in the western

outskirts of Podgorica. The aircraft

was destroyed, causing severe

injuries to pilots Col Namik Arifović

and Lt Col Miroljub Antanasijević.

The Gazelle is the nation’s first

military aircraft to be deployed

beyond its borders – a pair of

HO-42s (12631 and 12657)

deployed to Cerklje ob Krki air base,

Slovenia, for the Adriatic Strike 15

military exercise in June 2015. In

2016, four pilots, four engineers

and anti-tank HN-45M 12938 were

again deployed to Cerklje ob Krki

for Adriatic Strike 16. The tradition

continued in June 2017, when

Montenegro participated in Adriatic

Strike 17 with two more Gazelles,

12634 and 12671. These two

helicopters once again deployed

to Slovenia in early June for this

year’s iteration of the exercise.

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #369 DECEMBER 2018 // 59

Airforces

Intelligence

‘In association with ....’

airforcesintel.com

Above: The Utva 75 basic trainers were retired following an accident on
September 3, 2008. The remaining aircraft were fi nally sold in 2017. Sven van
Roij Below: The Montenegrin Air Force is still looking for a buyer for its G-4
Super Galebs. Note also the hangar in the background, seen undergoing
renovation to receive a new fl oor and large electric doors. Sven van Roij

Cessna 421B Golden Eagle 4O-BRO is currently the only airworthy fi xed-wing

type in the VVCG inventory. Built in 1972, it was previously used for aerial

photography by the Real Estate Authority of Montenegro. VVCG via Igor Bozinovski