The Montenegrin Air Force (Montenegrin: Vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazdušna odbrana; V i PVO) is the air arm of the Military of Montenegro. The aircraft marking of the Montenegrin Air Force consist of a red-on-gold roundel, currently being the sole air arm using the latter colour in its official insignia.
| Montenegrin Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazdušna odbrana | |
 Emblem of the Montenegrin Air Force | |
| Founded | 2006 [1] |
| Country |  Montenegro |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Size | 11 helicopters |
| Part of | Montenegrin Armed Forces |
| Headquarters | Podgorica |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief | President Jakov Milatović |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |   |
| Fin flash |  |
| Flag |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Helicopter | Bell 412, Bell 505 |
History
editIn 1991–1992, Yugoslavia disintegrated, and the republics of Serbia and Montenegro established the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Air Force was renamed the Air Force of Serbia and Montenegro, (also known as the Air Force of Yugoslavia). In spring of 1999 they suffered heavy losses in NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, during the Kosovo War.[2] After years of political turmoil, Montenegro declared its independence in June 2006, bringing an end to the state union of Serbia and Montenegro.[3][4]
Aircraft inventory
editThis section needs to be updated. (July 2021) |
Following the dissolution of the state union of Serbia and Montenegro, the newly formed Republic of Montenegro was left with a considerable number of aircraft at the Golubovci airbase, more than required for its own needs.[1] After the break-up, speculation arose regarding the division of the aircraft, but the Serbian Ministry of Defense issued a statement declaring that the eventual division of the fleet was not in either country's interest. However, a total of 11 G-4 Super Galebs, of which 8 are airworthy, were still located at the base in 2008. An official decision regarding their fate has not been made, but most likely they will not be operated by Montenegro due to expensive operating costs.[1] The four Utva 75 trainer aircraft have a better chance to become operational, although no decision about them has been made yet.[1]
Current inventory
edit| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helicopters | |||||
| Bell 412 | United States | Utility | 412EPI | 3[5] | |
| Bell 505 | United States | Utility | 2[5] | ||
| Aérospatiale Gazelle |  France United Kingdom Yugoslavia
|
Utility | 342 | 6[5] | |
Retired
edit| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat aircraft | |||||
| Soko G-4 | Yugoslavia | Attack / Jet trainer | 4 | Placed in storage in 2012 | |
| Trainer aircraft | |||||
| UTVA 75 | Yugoslavia | Trainer | 4[6] | Retired from service in 2012 | |
| Helicopters | |||||
| Mil Mi-8 |  Soviet Union
|
Transport / Utility | Mi-8T | 4[7] | Retired from service in 2012 |
| Aérospatiale Gazelle | Yugoslavia | Scout / Utility | 341/42 | 13 | Placed in storage in 2019[8] |
Aircraft markings
edit-
Early roundel used in some limited examples -
Roundel used from 2006 to 2018 -
Roundel adopted in 2018 -
Reduced visibility version of the 2018 roundel
References
edit- ^ a b c d Force Report: Montenegrin Air Force, Air Forces Monthly magazine, December 2008 issue, p. 38
- ^ "World Air Forces 2004 pg. 83". flightglobal.com. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ "Serbia-Montenegro Federal Republic of Yugoslavia". globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ "Republic of Yugoslavia Air Force". globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ a b c Hoyle, Craig (2023). "World Air Forces 2024". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ Montenegrin Air Force [Vazdušne snage Crne Gore] Archived 2018-02-14 at the Wayback Machine at globalsecurity.org
- ^ "Directory: World Air Forces". Flightglobal. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-12-19. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
- ^ "Veliki dosje: Može li na prostoru bivše Jugoslavije izbiti novi rat?". Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). 9 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.