Current Title:	Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo i Protiv Vazdusna Odbrana
Title in English:	Air Force and Air Defence Force
Abbreviation:	RViPVO

Narrative Summary:

Narrative history of the Yugoslav Air Force

Key Dates:
5 January 1945		JRV officially established
12 September 1945		Military Aviation Academy established
late 1945		VSJ (Aeronautical Union of Yugoslavia) officially established
late 1947		JRV strength reaches 40 squadrons of aircraft
March 1948		First radar company established
23 May 1948		First Paratrooper course started
June 1948		Break-up with Stalinist USSR causes a rapid fall in aircraft serviceability
1950		Air Force Technical School formed at Zemun
21 May 1951		First S-49A fighter officially delivered
October 1951		First Mosquito aircraft delivered from UK
14 November 1951		Mutual Assistance Pact signed with UK and USA
1952		First aircraft from USA (P-47 Thunderbolt) delivered
October 1952		First indigenously produced jet, the Ikarus 451M flew
10 March 1953		First jet aircraft (T-33A) arrives at Batajnica
1954		First helicopters (Westland Dragonfly) delivered
1956		Tito resumes relations with new Soviet leader Krushchev
July 1959		AF and AD units from army united to form Air Force and Air defence - JRV renamed RViPVO
September 1962		First MiG-21F-13 fighters delivered
1962		S-75 DVINA (SA-2) anti-aircraft missile system put into operational service
1986		RViPVO organised into three regional Corps
June 1991		Attack and transport missions in support of Federal forces in Slovenia. RViPVO later withdraws from Slovenia.
August 1991		Military campaign against Croatian forces starts
3 January 1992		Truce with Croatia comes into effect
March 1992		Start of conflict in Bosnia and Hercegovina
19 May 1992		Yugoslav forces ordered to withdraw from Bosnia, Hercegovina and Croatia
May 1992		Formation of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Air Force and Air Defence
June-Sept 1992		RViPVO re-organised into two specialised Corps
June 1998		Exercise Determined Falcon appears to threaten NATO air strikes on Yugoslavia
4 October 1998		RViPVO ordered to prepare for war
15 February 1999		RViPVO again ordered to prepare for war
24 March 1999		NATO forces launch air attacks on Yugoslavia under Operation Allied Force
26 March 1999		F-117A stealth aircraft shot down by anti-aircraft missile
12 June 1999		Peace agreement signed
11 May 2000		Ladjevci air base reopens for use
27 February 2002		RViPVO command HQ disbanded - air force corps report directly to the Joint General Staff
December 2002		RViPVO modernisation plan published
January 2003		Yugoslav Army (VJ) becomes Army of Serbia and Montenegro (VSiCG)
June 2006		Independence of Montenegro sees forces withdraw to Serbia

Current Status:
The RViPVO is still recovering from the damage inflicted during the Kosovo War of March-June 1999. Much of the infrastructure had been severely damaged, with all hangars and three-quarters of the maintenance workshops destroyed. Many radar and SAM stations were hit and numerous aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair.
The initial post-war focus was on restoring the runways and basic facilities at the main airfields.
The armed forces have been heavily hit by budget cuts, which have severely limited re-equipment plans and caused a shortage of aviation fuel. Lack of funds has forced the air force to sell off the utility variant of the Gazelle helicopter to private owners. Aircraft serviceability is reported to be poor, with talk of the MiG-29s being withdrawn due to their poor condition and lack of spares.

Future Plans:
Reorganise and retrain air force to operate to NATO standards.
Participate in Partnership for Peace Programme.
Obtain new basic training aircraft to come in-between UTVA-75 and G-4 Super Galeb in pilot training sequence.
Lease of a squadron of modern multi-role fighters to replace MiG-29 and MiG-21. Some report that the F-16A/B or JAS-39 Gripen are favourites - others that an order for 30-35 Sukhoi Su-30MK is more likely.
Requip 677.trae with new transport aircraft.
Obtain new transport helicopters to partially replace Mi-8T.