09.09.2020.
MiG 29 - A guarantee of the sovereignty of our sky
Thanks to MiG-29 aircraft and new helicopters procured after 25 years, the modernization of the existing resources and investments in the improvement of financial status of pilots and fliers, Serbian Air Force has been significantly strengthened.
The Serbian Armed Forces currently have 14 MiG-29 aircraft which are among the most modern aircraft in the world.
During 2017, six MiG-29 aircraft that the Serbian Armed Forces received from the Russian Federation were put into operation, and in 2019, another four aircraft of this type were received as a donation from the Republic of Belarus and will be delivered to our country after the completion of their modernization which started at the Belarusian “558th Aircraft Overhaul Institute” in Baranovichi in February this year. All the works are performed in accordance with contractual obligations, technological dynamics and technical documentation.The procurement of MiG-29 aircraft through military-technical assistance of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus is only one of the indicators of the results of developed and successful military-economic cooperation and cooperation in the field of defence with partner countries.
- MiG-29 multi-role fighter planes are essentially intended for fighting/intercepting enemy aircraft and their auxiliary purpose is to engage water and ground targets. The maximum speed of these aircraft is 2,400 km/h (Mach 2.25), the maximum flight altitude is 18,000 m, and their tactical radius is 1,500 km. By modernizing MiG-29 aircraft, combat efficiency and firepower are increased, which significantly enhances the capabilities of the Air Force and Air Defence to control and protect airspace over the Republic of Serbia and at its access points.
One of the conditions for normal functioning of air traffic is the ability of the Air Force and Air Defence to ensure unhindered flight of civilian aircraft over the territory of our country, so in accordance with that, MiG-29 aircraft are used as part of the duty unit which provides constant airspace control, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
In order to create necessary conditions for housing and maintenance of aircraft, the final phase of the construction of a hangar for housing MiG-29 aircraft that are part of the duty unit is underway at the military airport “Colonel-Pilot Milenko Pavlović” in Batajnica. By creating conditions for housing aircraft, the impact of weather conditions will be minimized, the time required to prepare the aircraft and human effort will be reduced.The process of training and advanced training of military pilots for MiG-29 aircraft also contributed to enhancing the operational capabilities of the Air Force and Air Defence. With a larger number of MiG-29 aircraft, the number of flight hours of each pilot in the squadron has been increased, which means that the level of training of personnel is much higher than it was in the previous period. Also, for the needs of training of younger pilots, in 2019, basic training and battle drills were conducted in the Russian Federation.
All pilots and fliers can boast of the most modern flying equipment including flying coveralls, boots and gloves. The financial status of pilots and fliers in the Air Force has been directly improved by increasing salaries, so, as of this year, the salaries of military pilots have been equalized with the salaries of pilots in the Ministry of the Internal Affairs. Also, better employment elements for pilots and technicians were determined, which made advancement in service faster.
In addition to new aircraft, a serious training program, continuous training and keeping the achieved capabilities of our pilots on the same level, have significantly contributed to the enhancement of operational capabilities of the Air Force and Air Defence.
