03.03.2020.
The training of military pilots and cadets at „Morava“ Airport
Minister Vulin: Military pilots are being trained to protect our skies and our way of life
- After 20 years, our cadets, future pilots are being trained in accordance with the rules of profession. We have been waiting for two decades to acquire enough aircraft, instructors, equipment, namely all the resources necessary for a cadet to become a pilot, an airman, and to be completely equal to his or her colleagues – said the Minister of Defense, Aleksandar Vulin at the military airport „Morava“ near Kraljevo during his visit to the members of the 714th Antiarmour Helicopter Squadron who are being trained on Mi-35 helicopters and cadets of the 140st class of the Military Academy undergoing training on HN-42/45 helicopters.
- The Serbian Armed Forces make sure that our men are trained and that they have all the necessary conditions for a good-quality training, so that they can perform their duties in the future. As a part of this, they are being intensively trained on our new Mi-35 and H-145 helicopters, we are modernizing the"eagle", we are doing whatever it takes to make ourArmed Forces able to protect our skies and our way of life – said Minister Vulin.- The Serbian Armed Forces are much stronger then they used to be and thanks to the efforts of our Supreme Commander, the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić and an enormous amount of money invested in us, but also thanks to the efforts of all the members of our Armed Forces, we will be even stronger – said Minister Aleksandar Vulin.
Commander of the 98th Air Brigade, Colonel Zoran Prodanović said that the results of the combat training so far were presented to the minister, before the commencemet of the second part of Mi-35 helicopter pilot training.
- Everything is going according to plan and we hope that in the forthcoming period we will complete the combat pilot training, and by doing so, these helicopters will be added to the combat formation of the 98th Air Brigade at full capacity – Colonel Prodanović pointed out adding that the training of the 140st Class of the Military Academy, on HN-42/45 helicopters is going according to the plans of this military educational institution, after which cadets will be fully trained by the end of this school year.
Lieutenant Darijan Militar, an Mi-35M helicopter pilot emphasizes that, after the completion of the first part of the training in Russia, the second phase of combat training on helicopter begins, together with the members of the Russian Armed Forces.
- It is one of the best helicopters in its class in the world and it is a great challenge for us to master the technique as best as we can.Strahinja Petković, aviation cadet of the 140th Class of the Military Academy who is undergoing the combat training course with his peers, recalls that they completed basic training on the general type of „gazelle“ helicopters in the fourth year of studies.
- We are finishing the current, fifth year in September. We have completed the basic stage here at „Morava“ airport, and now we are starting navigation flying on medium and low altitudes – points out cadet Petković adding that he hopes that one day he will have the opportunity to be trained on Mi-35 helicopters with his colleagues.
The tour of „Morava“ airport today was attended by State Secretary Bojan Jocić, Assistant Minister for Material Resources Nenad Miloradović, PhD, the Rector of the University of Defence, Lieutenant General Goran Radovanović and the Air Force and Air Defense Commander, Major General Duško Žarković.
