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67-776: The idea to form air forces in the Royal Serbian Army was first mentioned in the General Army Formation Act from 2 August 1893. This act envisioned that within each division of the Army be formed one air force balloon company. The first aviation pioneer in Serbia was Major Kosta Miletić who was trained as a balloon pilot at the Technical Aeronautical School in Saint Petersburg, Russia from 1901 to 1902, Miletić

134-446: A Farman airplane with two crew members. Without any sophisticated cannon sights, he was aiming through the bore of his gun. During the time of 1914–1915, the first Serbian-made planes were produced. They had been made mostly by craftsmen in various furniture factories. These early Serbian planes were used for training, since they were underpowered. While construction was Serbian, airplane motors were French-made. This aircraft design had

201-648: A military academy in Saint Petersburg , but was not accepted. Upon returning to Serbia, he enrolled in Belgrade's Military Academy with the aim of becoming a non-commissioned officer in an artillery unit. He graduated from the Military Academy in 1905 as the best student in his class. His first posting was as a lieutenant ( Serbian : Podnarednik ) in Niš . He was later reassigned to Kragujevac and Belgrade. In 1910, he

268-684: A Bulgarian pilot Topradzijev who was killed in 1912 when he was flying back from the reconnaissance mission over Edirne , Turkey. General mobilization in the summer of 1914 found Serbian Aeroplane Wing not well prepared. Aeroplane Wing had only 9 aeroplanes of which 7 in flying condition. Five planes and three pilots were relocated to Dabića airfield. From that airfield, Captain Živojin Stanković and 2nd Lieutenant Miodrag Tomić on August 13, 1914 commenced their first reconnaissance flights in World War I . Serbian pilots who were actually skilled and experienced from

335-712: A Bulgarian plane in the air, but neither one had weapons and they just greeted one another by hand waving. The first six military pilots were trained in France. They finished the course in the beginning of the First Balkan war . On 24 December 1912, the head of the military Minister Radomir Putnik signed the papers about forming the Air Force Command situated in Niš which included: the Aircraft Squad (which counted 11 military aircraft),

402-580: A USAF F-16C and an F-117 Nighthawk , the first stealth aircraft ever to be shot down in combat, along with dozens of UAVs. Royal Serbian Army The Army of the Kingdom of Serbia ( Serbian Cyrillic : Војска Краљевине Србије , romanized :  Vojska Kraljevine Srbije ), known in English as the Royal Serbian Army , was the army of the Kingdom of Serbia that existed between 1882 and 1918, succeeding

469-413: A predetermined airfield and gliding with a dead engine. Petrović made his first solo flight after only 20 days, and was the first of the recruits to fly without an instructor, on 29 May 1912. During the training process, the recruits incurred 13,000 francs worth of damage to their aircraft. The training they received did not encompass combat scenarios. Following his completion of the training program,

536-436: A safe place. In June 1941 the 20th Hydroaviation Squadron under command of Lieutenant Vladeta Petrović with their no surrender war flag was renamed in the 2nd Yugoslav Squadron , attached to No. 230 Squadron RAF . Up until 23 April 1942 the squadron flew 912 combat mission (1,760 flying hours) and lost four aircraft. The main mission of the squadron was anti-submarine patrol and protected allied shipping. After World War II

603-404: A strong gust of wind tilted the aircraft at an angle, and the untethered Petrović was pushed out of his seat and fell 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) to his death. The pilotless Farman HF.20 crashed and was damaged beyond repair. According to the second account, Petrović and Miletić took off as pilot and observer, and successfully completed their mission. Descending towards Barbullush, Miletić shut off

670-653: Is considered the first Serbian Air Force pilot to have been killed in the line of duty. He was also only the second fatality in military aviation history. Under pressure from the Great Powers , Montenegro and Serbia retreated from Scutari in May 1913, the Littoral Air Detachment ceased conducting flights over the city and its pilots returned to Serbia. After the Balkan Wars , Petrović's remains were exhumed and reburied in

737-503: The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale issued Petrović with pilot's license #979, making him one of the first 1,000 pilots certified by the organization. According to the historian Boris Ciglić, Serbia initially purchased six aircraft; three from Blériot and three from Farman . Two more were subsequently purchased from Deperdussin , piloted by French aviators. According to the air historian Paul E. Fontenoy,

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804-596: The Armed Forces of the Principality of Serbia and preceding the Royal Yugoslav Army . Mihajlo Petrovi%C4%87 (pilot) Mihajlo Petrović ( Serbian Cyrillic : Михајло Петровић ; 26 June [ O.S. 14 June] 1884 – 20 March [ O.S. 7 March] 1913) was a Serbian military pilot who flew in the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913. A graduate of Serbia's Military Academy , Petrović

871-482: The Balkan Wars had succeeded to give the valuable information about the number, the movements, and the position of the enemy troops. They contributed to early Serbian victories in 1914 at Cer Mountain , Kolubara and Drina river. At the beginning of 1915, armed with machine guns and bombs, Serbian pilots succeeded to fight back the enemy by attacking their aircraft flying over the Serbian sovereign territory or by bombing

938-469: The Farman HF.20 reconnaissance biplane at Trupalsko polje, near Niš. He was subsequently assigned to the nascent Serbian Air Force 's newly formed Littoral Air Detachment (Serbian: Primorski aeroplanski odred ), which was taking part in the siege of Scutari (modern-day Shkodër , Albania ). The detachment was tasked with flying reconnaissance missions over the city and its surroundings. Its commander

1005-683: The Ottoman Empire in a final attempt to liberate the last of the territories that the Turks still occupied in Europe. The Royal Serbian Army advanced south through Kosovo into Macedonia , then turned west toward the Adriatic coast, through central Albania . At the same time, the Montenegrin army advanced into Albania from the north and laid siege to the historic fortified city of Shkodra . In February 1913,

1072-711: The Thessaloniki . The material conditions of the Royal Serbian Army caused that all available, trained, and capable aviation staff be referenced to five French squadrons. These squadrons were added to Serbia on the Allied Forces Conference in Paris. The Serbian Supreme Command wanted to have certain level of independence over its own Air Force and it secured the independence under Command of the Serbian squadron in Mikra. There

1139-521: The Air Force underwent several developmental stages, the first major air force modernization being performed from 1953 to 1959. Aircraft made in the West are introduced thus broaching the era of jet aviation. With the forming of first helicopter squadron in 1954 the chopper units were also incorporated within the reorganised Air Forces branch, renamed to Yugoslav Air Force ( Jugoslovensko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo ). At

1206-884: The Aviation Command was renamed the Royal Yugoslav Air Force ( Jugoslovensko Kraljevsko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo ). As of 1924, 2 August, the Saint Elijah feast-day was observed as the patron saint day of Yugoslav Air Forces, with the Saint Elijah the Lightning Bearer as a patron saint of military and other pilots of then existing Yugoslavian Kingdom . The attacking forces engaged in the April War (6 to 17 April 1941) were 2,373 aircraft strong, including 1,212 aircraft from Germany, 647 from Italy and 287 from Hungary, while

1273-807: The Balloon Company, the Pigeon post and the Airbase . A year later, during the siege of the town of Shkodra , Serbian Air Force had their baptism of fire. The first planes used in the Serbian Air Force were the Blériot XI and Farman HF.20 . On 24 December 1912 the head of the Ministry of the Army Radomir Putnik approved the formation of the Air Force Command located in Niš; this date is regarded in Serbia as marking

1340-655: The Balloon Squad, the Pigeon post and the Base. This date is the date of formation of the Serbian Air Force. Its first combat experience, Serbian Air Force had experienced in March 1913 over Shkodra which was in the Central Force hands. On the first combat flight, sergeant-pilot Mihajlo Petrović was killed as the second victim of World Military Aviation. The first victim of military aviation was

1407-452: The Montenegrin capital, Cetinje . On 1 October 1931, his remains were exhumed once again, and transported to Belgrade's New Cemetery , where they are now interred. The house in which Petrović was born is still standing, and is marked with a commemorative plaque. Belgrade's Aeronautical Museum contains 76 of Petrović's personal possessions, some of which are on display. In September 2018, the Serbian Air Force base adjacent to Niš Constantine

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1474-527: The Royal Serbian Army High Command formed a separate Coastal (Primorski) Army Corps in order to assist the Montenegrin army on the Shkodra front. Air support for this formation was assigned to the newly established "Coastal Airplane Squad", the first Serbian air combat unit, with 3 airplanes and 4 pilots under the command of major Kosta Miletić. In March 1913, this combat air unit was relocated near

1541-726: The Royal Yugoslav Air Force had 494 airplanes, only 269 of a modern type. Thus the ratio in the beginning of operations was 5:1 in favor of the Axis powers, and if counting only modern Yugoslav aircraft the ratio climbs to 7:1 in favor of the Axis powers. In spite of huge logistic difficulties and acts of treason (proclamation of the puppet-state Independent State of Croatia on 10 April 1941) the Royal Yugoslav Air Force fulfilled its duties with honor. Yugoslav airmen (5th and 6th Fighter Regiment pilots especially) fought courageously against an enemy superior both technically and numerically. During

1608-422: The Serbian government purchased a total of 11 aircraft in 1912. The newly certified pilots requested that the Serbian government permit them to undergo combat training, during which they would be trained in flying at altitudes over 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), but the government declined. After three months, the pilots left France. They advised their superiors that it would be advisable for the government to procure

1675-534: The Shkodra area in December 1915. When the last aircraft was destroyed, Serbian pilots together with the Serbian Army had crossed to Corfu Island. In the period of World War I, Serbian pilots had succeeded to show the importance of the military aviation to all ministers and to secure the place of aviation in its modernized version. The French squadron has improved the opinion about the Air Force because it has represented

1742-771: The Vardar Valley, caused the Bulgarian capitulation when the Royal Serbian Army after only 45 days had succeeded to move the enemy lines for 600 kilometers, to be the winner for the third time in this, Austria-Hungary was defeated. On the Thessaloniki's front Serbian Air Force did 3,000 combat flights, participated at all main operations and receipted the end of World War I in the associated unit which counted 60 modern aircraft. The staff of this unit consisted of 70 pilots, 40 reconnaissance pilots, and other aviation specialists. This aviation had staff and equipment with enormous experience. By

1809-642: The Yugoslav Air Force was inherited by the newly-formed Air Force of Serbia and Montenegro in 1992. An important portion of the 1999 war between Yugoslavia and the NATO coalition involved combat between the Air Force of Serbia and Montenegro ( Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo Srbije i Crne Gore ), which was the predecessor of today's Serbian Air Force, and the opposing air forces of NATO . United States Air Force F-15s and F-16s flying mainly from Italian air bases attacked

1876-617: The air base adjacent to Niš Constantine the Great Airport was named after him. Mihajlo Petrović was born in the village of Vlakča , near Stragari , on 26 June [ O.S. 14 June] 1884. He completed his primary education in his native village and later attended a military high school in Kragujevac , but failed to graduate. After only managing to secure menial work in Belgrade , Petrović travelled to Russia in 1902 and applied to

1943-463: The autumn of 1915 and the great retreat of Serbian army to island of Corfu , in the spring 1916 was formed Macedonian front . In the autumn of 1915, Serbia conducted the first medical transport of the wounded and sick in the world aviation history. One of the ill soldiers in that first medical transport was Milan Rastislav Štefánik , a Slovak pilot-volunteer who was flown to safety by French aviator Louis Paulhan . Serbia formed on 8 June 1915 one of

2010-415: The beginning of 1960s supersonic fighters were introduced, followed by intensive growth of Yugoslav aviation industry in that period. A number of jet planes prototypes were constructed, which served as basis for the development of training fighters and fighter aircraft, such as Soko G-2 and J-21 Jastreb , G-4 Super Galeb and Soko J-22 Orao and the most advanced fighter aircraft MiG-29 was introduced in

2077-434: The circumstances that led to Petrović's death. By one account, Petrović was confident he would not be affected by the wind and readied his plane. The flight was approved by Miletić. Before Petrović took off, Ilić warned him not to fly above 800 metres (2,600 ft), above which altitude wind would begin to affect the aircraft; while Petrović agreed not to do so, his plane rose above that altitude regardless. At 10:35 a.m.,

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2144-579: The constant and strong pressure of the enemy who also was helped by the Bulgarian Army. The plan for retreating was that the soldiers together with the civilians would go through Albania and Montenegro , all the way to the Adriatic Sea. In the course of the retreat, the French and Serbian pilots did the first operation of carrying the injured soldiers with aircraft. The French-Serbian pilots had also organized

2211-601: The course in the beginning of the First Balkan War with aircraft and the balloons that had already been obtained prior to the outbreak of war. In 1912, a group of Serbian officers were sent abroad to a Pilot Training Program in France. At the same time aircraft were purchased and by the Act of the Minister of Army Radomir Putnik , on 24 September 1912 an Air Force Command was established in Niš . Serbian Aviation ( Srpska Avijatika )

2278-454: The defending Serbo-Montenegrin fighters—usually MiG-29s , which were in bad shape, due to lack of spare parts and maintenance. A total of six MiG-29s were shot down in 1999, of which three were shot down by USAF F-15s , one by a USAF F-16 , and one by a RNAF F-16. One aircraft was hit by friendly fire from the ground. Another four were destroyed on the ground. During the course of the air war, Serbo-Montenegrin anti-aircraft defenses downed

2345-461: The detachment had established an operating base. On the morning of 20 March [ O.S. 7 March] 1913, captains Miloš Ilić and Živojin Stanković attempted to fly a reconnaissance mission, but were forced to turn back due to strong winds. Captain Jovan Jugović decided to complete Ilić and Stanković's mission, but strong winds forced him to abort as well. Two different accounts exist of

2412-540: The dominance in the air, but at the end of World War I (especially at the time of breaking out the Thessaloniki's front line), allied forces command had realized the value of this course, and the Serbian-French units, together with the allied forces Air Forces, had succeeded defeating enemy. The summer of 1918 was period of the absolute control of the sky over this area by the allied forces. Successive and strong break up which Serbian divisions did as well as their break up in

2479-535: The first air defense and air warning units in the world. This was due to the massive onslaught of German and Austro-Hungarian aircraft. The first airplane shot down by ground fire unit in World War I happened over skies of Serbia. During the German air attack on city of Kragujevac on 30 September 1915, air defense artillerist Radivoje-Raka Lutovac from "Tanasko Rajić" Regiment, shot his first hit, by his artillery modified gun,

2546-599: The following days, pilots Milos Ilic, Stankovich and Tomich dropped a number of small bombs and conducted reconnaissance flights. A fascinating fact represents that the pilot Tomich and Esad Pasha , the former Turkish commander at the Skadar frontline, would meet in a completely different situation two years later, during the First World War, when pilot Tomich needed help. The commander was Major Kosta Miletić, and it comprised an Aircraft Squadron which counted 12 military aircraft,

2613-480: The frontline at a newly built auxiliary airfield in the village of Barbalusi. The first reconnaissance flight was made on 20 March (7 March, oldstyle ), by Lt. Zivojin Stanković and Sgt. Mihailo Petrović. In this combat-reconnaissance flight on his Farman HF. 20 over the Skadar Front on 20 March 1913, Sgt. Mihailo Petrović was killed, thus becoming the first casualty in the history of the Serbian military aviation and

2680-531: The important targets in the background positions. Because of air supremacy of the Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops over Serbian Front, in March 1915 the French squadron (Escadrille MFS.99) arrived to aid weakness Serbian Aeroplane Wing. French squadron held the frontline from Smederevo to Loznica, and Serbian Wing from Smederevo to Golubac. After the conquest of Serbia by the Central Powers in

2747-434: The maintenance of the connection with the units retreating through Albanian coast to Durrës and Vlorë. Although Serbia was occupied in late 1915, by German, Austro-Hungarian and Bulgarian armies, the Serbian government and armed forces refused surrender. The entire Serbian army withdrew through Albania , into Greece, where they together with French and British forces created the Thessaloniki front. French pilots had left

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2814-657: The mid-1980s. In June 1991 the Slovenes resistance to re-imposition of federal control over Slovenia rapidly escalated into an armed conflict with Yugoslav Armed Forces. During the Ten-Day War in Slovenia two Yugoslav Air Force helicopters were shot down, while it launched air strikes on TV transmitters and Slovenian territorial defence positions. During the War in Croatia , the Yugoslav Air Force

2881-517: The name "Pingvin" or "Penguin class". Only few of these were ever made. Although modest, this domestic design was inspiration for creating Serbian aviation industry after the World War I. In the course of the Austro-Hungarian offensive and the retreating of the Serbian army, the French and Serbian pilots succeeded to stop the movements and intentions of the enemy. This information was very valuable to Serbian Supreme Command, who were retreating under

2948-573: The number 1. This made Serbia , one of the first 15 states in the world to have an air force. After Bulgaria attacked at Bregalnica in Serbia, the Second Balkan War began. The first reconnaissance mission had been performed by Miodrag Tomić, and after that Tomić and Stanković took turns and during a period of a month and a half, as the war with Bulgarians lasted, the two airmen performed 21 reconnaissance missions, of which Tomić did 14 flights. During one flight above Kriva Palanka , Tomić encountered

3015-497: The official founding of the air force. Serbian Aviation ( Srpska avijatika ) comprised the Aircraft Detachment (which counted 12 aircraft), the Balloon Company, the pigeon post and the airbase . The Serbian Air Force combat missions over Shkodra in March 1913 brought the first combat flight fatality, sergeant-pilot Mihajlo Petrović was killed, the second pilot to be killed in air combat in history. The first recorded fatality

3082-591: The order dated 17 January 1918, the two Serbian squadrons were to be formed and staffed with Serbian personnel. In April 1918 1st Serbian Aviation Squadron became operational with 12 Dorand AR type I A2 and 3 Nieuport 24 C1 from French-Serbian composite Squadron AR 521 and commanded by French officer (Serb national) lieutenant Mihajlo Marinković. During May and June, the French-Serbian composed 2nd Serbian Squadron became operational. Captain Branko Vukosavljević

3149-403: The other newly certified Serbian pilots. During the Siege of Scutari (modern-day Shkodër , Albania ), Petrović was embedded with the nascent Serbian Air Force 's newly formed Littoral Air Detachment, which was tasked with carrying out reconnaissance missions over the city and its surroundings. In March 1913, Petrović fell out of his Farman HF.20 while completing a mission over the city, and

3216-416: The plane's engine and attempted to glide to a landing. The aircraft suddenly went into a spin and Petrović was thrown from the plane, falling to his death on the banks of the Drin River. Military medics quickly arrived at the site where Petrović had fallen, but he was declared dead at the scene, and buried the following day near Barbullush. His death negatively affected the morale of his unit. Petrović

3283-457: The same place where almost 30 years later the Royal Yugoslav Air Force had purchased the Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-3 in 1937. The time of purchasing these balloons was the time of the growing crisis about the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina under Austria-Hungary , which could have easily caused the war with this great military force. The First Balkan War broke out in October 1912. Serbia , Montenegro, Greece, and Bulgaria waged it against

3350-504: The same types of aircraft they had received their flight training in. The government only partially obliged this request. Aircraft produced by Bleriot were procured for pilots who had trained on Bleriot planes. Pilots trained to fly planes produced by Maurice Farman instead received aircraft produced by Henri Farman. Petrović was among three pilots who were assigned a plane they were not trained to fly. The newly procured aircraft were to be transported to Serbia via Italy and Montenegro . By

3417-440: The second one in world aviation history. Mihajlo Petrović was the first trained Serbian airplane pilot. He completed his training and exams at the famous Farman pilot school in France and was awarded the international FAI license no. 979 in June 1912. His Serbian pilot's license carries the number 1. The next day, pilots Lt. Zivojin Stankovich and Sgt. Miodrag Tomich successfully completed their first reconnaissance flights, and in

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3484-421: The secure collaborator in all phases of battle. In the second part of World War I on the Thessaloniki front line, the Air Force had played a big part for it was equipped and armored with modern weapons and modern aircraft. As the war industry grew really fast, the Serbian Air Force obtained modern aircraft. After the re-organization in Corfu, the Serbian Air Force squadron had been moved to Mikra; not far away from

3551-457: The time they had reached Montenegro, the First Balkan War had already broken out. The aircraft were transported to Salonika by ship, where they arrived in December 1912. By January 1913, the planes had arrived in Niš , where they were assembled and underwent their first domestic test flights. Four Frenchmen—three pilots and a mechanic—were enlisted to fly and maintain the aircraft alongside their Serbian counterparts. Petrović began training on

3618-416: The war operations a total of 1,416 take-offs was made, 993 of which were performed by fighters and 423 by bombers. During this short war 135 flight crew members and 576 ground personnel lost their lives. About 300 Royal Yugoslav Air Force personnel evacuated, first to Greece then to Crete . After the Battle of Crete they went on to the deserts of the Near and Middle East, where for a short time they found

3685-433: Was Major Kosta Miletić . On 4 March [ O.S. 19 February] 1913, the detachment departed for Scutari from Salonika. Three foreign pilots, two Frenchmen and a Russian, accompanied it on its journey. The detachment's three planes—one Deperdussin, one Bleriot and one Farman—reached the port of Shëngjin several days later. From there the aircraft were transported to the village of Barbullush , near Scutari, where

3752-415: Was a Bulgarian pilot, Topradzijev, who was killed in 1912 when he was flying back from a reconnaissance mission over Edirne , during the Battle of Adrianople (1913) . Mihajlo Petrović was the first trained Serbian airplane pilot. He completed his training and exams at the famous Farman pilot school in France and was awarded the international FAI license no.979 in June 1912. His Serbian pilot's license carries

3819-461: Was active providing transport and close air support missions to Yugoslav Ground Forces, but was gradually forced to abandon air bases outside of ethnic Serbian held areas. The Yugoslav Air Force equipment in Bosnia and Herzegovina was given to the new Republika Srpska Air Force and used during the War in Bosnia . In 1991 and 1992, the Yugoslav Air Force lost a total of 46 airplanes and helicopters in Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The bulk of

3886-437: Was also a strong will for the formation of an independent Serbian Aviation Squadron. These five Serbian-French squadrons formed the "Serbian Aviation" which was working as an integral part of the Royal Serbian Army. Allied forces squadrons (such as British, Italian and Greek) who actually had their own aviation units, also helped the formation. In the certain phases of World War I, the Central Force Air Forces succeeded to establish

3953-424: Was also trained in the use of carrier pigeons . On the recommendation of Miletić, the Royal Serbian Army posed messenger pigeon stations (in 1908 in Medoševac near Niš and in 1909 in Pirot), and bought two free spherical and one tied kite balloon from the August Ridinger company from German city of Augsburg. At the reception ceremony, on 19 April 1909, Kosta Miletić flew a spherical balloon called "Srbija". One balloon

4020-420: Was formed out of Serbian and ex-Austro-Hungarian (Croatian and Slovenian) personnel. In 1923, a major initiative was launched to replace World War I era aircraft still in service with more modern designs. Contracts were placed abroad and with newly established local factories. The Aviation Department was renamed the Aviation Command and placed directly under the control of the Ministry of Military and Navy. In 1930,

4087-437: Was killed. His death negatively affected the morale of his unit. Under pressure from the Great Powers , Montenegro and Serbia retreated from Scutari in May, the Littoral Air Detachment ceased conducting flights over the city and its pilots returned to Serbia. Petrović was the first Serbian Air Force pilot to be killed in the line of duty and only the second such fatality in the history of military aviation . In September 2018,

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4154-457: Was one of six Serbian military personnel selected to undergo training at Henri and Maurice Farman 's flying school in Étampes , near Paris , in 1912. Following his completion of the Farman brothers' training program, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale issued Petrović with pilot's license #979, making him one of the first 1,000 pilots certified by the organization. Upon completing his training, Petrović returned to Serbia, together with

4221-419: Was promoted to the rank of sergeant (Serbian: Narednik ). In 1912, Petrović was among six recruits selected by the Royal Serbian Government to undergo training at Henri and Maurice Farman 's flying school in Étampes , near Paris . They arrived in France in April of that year. The recruits were tested in flying their planes for one hour non-stop at an altitude over 100 metres (330 ft), landing at

4288-460: Was provided from Russia. A gas chamber was ordered from the Dillmann company in Berlin, and a field winch from Saint Petersburg. A hydrogen unit was provided from the Swiss company Oerlikon. The equipment was delivered to Serbia in 1909 and 1910. The first competition for cadet airmen was opened in May 1911, and in the following year the first class of Serbian pilots started their flying training in France from 21 May – 8 September 1912. They finished

4355-401: Was the fifth ever air force founded in the world in 1912. Serbian Air Force was created when the aviation as vital part of the ground units was the question of the prestige under the military commands of the world. Considering what was Serbian position at that time, a very small and poor, it was really hard to form the air force knowing. The real reason why Serbia hurried to form its own air force

4422-415: Was the first Serbian squadron commander who was appointed to lead to 1st Serbian Squadron in August 1918. The period between two world wars was marked by a significant growth of Air Force, accompanied by the production of modern and sophisticated aircraft, with then ongoing organizational-formation changes within the Air Force. With the establishment of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia , an Army Aviation Department

4489-441: Was the growing tension between the Kingdom of Serbia and Austria-Hungary . Also, it was the question of preparing the Balkan countries for the final driving out of Turkish forces from Europe. Serbia was not only aware of all these problems but was also forced to equip Serbian military with the aircraft and the balloons (of course with a great material renunciation). Serbia had purchased the first two balloons in 1909 from Augsburg;

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