20.10.2013.

Minister of Defence and Chief of General Staff onboard the "Kozara" ship

Defence Minister Nebojsa Rodic and Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic with associates, sailed today on "Kozara" special purpose ship from Smederevo to Belgrade during one of the final stages of the verification tests performed by the Technical Test Centre.

The vessel, which is Command Post of the River Flotilla, was generally overhauled and modified so that, after introducing to operational use, it will significantly improve the level of operational capabilities of the unit.

The Minister of Defence and the Chief of General Staff visited all the vital systems of Kozara ship which after modernization, as stated during the presentation of the Commander of the River Flotilla, Colonel Andrija Andric, has all the prerequisites for a safe, reliable and economical use during the next 25 to 30 years.

Kozara today is the first military ship in the region with an integrated diesel-electric propulsion, which provides quiet, almost silent and economical operation, while modern navigation system, which significantly improves safety and allows navigation in fog and at night with the effective target detection contributes to the general impression of a powerful vessel.

The four-year overhaul of Kozara, whose two diesel-electric generators in the economy mode of use consume around 70 litres of euro-diesel, costed 249.5 million dinars, which is almost 5 times less than the cost of a new ship of these characteristics.

The River Flotilla commander Colonel Andrija Andric said that it is great honour and pleasure for all members of the River Flotilla that on the last sail before the final verification testing, and the entry into operation on board there were the Minister of Defence, the Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces and the Army Commander with the associates.

- During the sailing they expressed their satisfaction with the conditions fulfilled by that ship so far, and they especially praised its performance and tactical-technical features that make it a respectable vessel.

Upon entering the ship, on the accommodation ladder, Minister Rodic first saluted the flag on the stern, and then, after the command (attention!) curtly said: All aboard!

This was when the sailing with great motive, on ideal weather conditions, practically began and ended successfully, four hours later, in another river detachment of the River Flotilla, at the Belgrade confluence.