10.10.2016.
Deputy Chief of General Staff visits participants in BARS 2016 exercise
Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Jovica Draganic, along with Air Force and Air Defence Commander, Major General Ranko Zivak, and the Chief of the Training and Doctrine Department, Brigadier General Marinko Pavlovic, has visited today the participants in the BARS 2016 flight tactical exercise, performed at the Batajnica airport, from 9th to 15th October.The tour was attended by Defence Attaché of the Russian Federation to Serbia, Colonel Andrey Kindyakov and Military and Air Attaché Colonel Vladimir Korneenkov.
Addressing the participants of the exercise, General Draganic pointed out that the joint training of members of the air forces of the two countries confirmed the successful bilateral military cooperation between the Russian Federation and Serbia. General Draganic also noted that, exchange of experience in these kinds of trainings improves skills and operational capabilities.
After addressing the Deputy Chief of General Staff, Deputy Commander of the 204th Aviation Brigade, Colonel Zeljko Bilic and a representative of the Russian Air Force Command, Colonel Konstantin Jurevic Surikov, signed the Technical Agreement for BARS 2016 by which the exercise officially started.Fighter aviation and helicopter units of the Serbian Air Force and Air Defence are participating in the exercise "Control and protection of air space and combat search and rescue". Apart from the members of our Air Force, a team of the Special Brigade of the Serbian Armed Forces within the exercise support element, the exercises involve members of the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation. The pilots of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Serbian Armed Forces will perform flight assignments within the mixed crews primarily on aircraft MiG-29 and helicopters Mi-17 V5.
In parallel with the conduct of the flight tactical exercise, several lectures and expert discussions on the use and maintenance of aircraft will be held. The exercise is important for the Air Force and Air Defence from the aspect of gaining experience in the execution of tasks in emergency situations and assisting the civilian population, particularly through the use of new helicopters Mi-17 V5.
BARS 2016 represents a continuation of cooperation achieved at last year's BARS 2015 exercise carried out in the Russian Federation.
