105th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment
105th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment 105. lovačko-bombarderski avijacijski puk | |
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G-2 Galeb at Udbina airport | |
Active | 1946 - 1992 1993 - 1995 |
Disbanded | 1949-1951 1992 1995 |
Country | |
Branch | Yugoslav Air Force Military of Serbian Krajina ore Republika Srpska Air Force |
Part of |
The 105th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment (Serbo-Croatian: 105. lovačko-bombarderski avijacijski puk / 105. ловачко-бомбардерски авијацијски пук) was an aviation regiment established in 1946 as 3rd Training Aviation Regiment (Serbo-Croatian: 3. vazduhoplovni školski puk / 3. ваздухопловни школски пук) as part of the SFR Yugoslav Air Force.
History
3rd Training Aviation Regiment
The 3rd Training Aviation Regiment was formed on December 201, 1946 by order from August 1945 at Kovin airfield. It was formed from 2nd Squadron of 2nd Training Aviation Regiment equipped with Soviet-made Il-2, UT-2 and Yugoslav-made trainer aircraft, as part of Military Aviation College. By the 1947 the regiment had composed from two squadrons, and later number of squadrons was reduced to just one.
By the 1948 year this regiment was renamed like all other units of Yugoslav Army, so it has become 105th Assault-Training Aviation Regiment (105. vazduhoplovni školski puk / 105. јуришни ваздухопловни школски пук).
The commander of regiment in this period was Aleksandar Radičević-Zemlja.
105th Regiment
The 105th Assault-Training Aviation Regiment was based at Kovin airfield for short period. By year 1949 it was dislocated to Mostar airport, where it has remain also for short time, and it has moved to Nikšić, until it was disbanded. It was equipped with Soviet Il-2 attack-trainers, Yakovlev UT-2 trainers and domestic made trainers.
Regiment was reestablished in 1951 at Titograd airport, equipped with Aero-2 training aircraft as part of Active Aviation Officers School of Military Aviation Academy and from 1953 as part of Flight training center. In year 1956 regiment was reformed in to 2nd Pilot School. The Aero-2 aircraft were replaced in late 1950's with Aero-3 and Soko 522 trainers.
By the 1960 regiment was again renamed in to 105th Training Aviation Regiment (105. avijacijski školski puk / 105. авијацијски школски пук) which was dislocated to Zemunik from February 2, 1961. Same year, with the application of the "Drvar" reorganization of the Air Force, a new type of designation system was used to identify the squadrons of the regiment, which have became the 463rd, 464th and the 465th Light Combat Aviation Squadrons.
New domestic made G-2 Galeb trainer jet aircraft have replaced Aero-2 and Soko 522 piston-engine trainers in 1966, and three squadrons have been reorganized in to just two - 249th and 251st Fighter-Bomber Aviation Squadron. In 1969 Regiment has been last time renamed in to 105th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment. By the 1974 Czechoslovak-made Zlin 526F aerobatic aircraft were introduced with 3rd Mixed Aviation Squadron of 105th Regiment, which has later in 1976 been renumbered as 333rd Squadron. Domestic Utva 75 basic trainesrs were introduced in 333rd Squadron by 1980 being used for flight selection of Military Aviation Academy cadets and their basic training. Later in middle 1980's 333rd Squadron has formed the aerobatic team of the Yugoslav Air Force with six IJ-21 Jastreb light attack aircraft painted in yellow with the colors of the Yugoslav Flag in blue, white and red, named Leteće zvezde (Flying stars).
In 1986 229th Squadron has been reequipped with new G-4 Super Galeb advanced training jet aircraft which have replaced G-2 Galeb in that squadron. By 1990 seven G-4 Super Galeb aircraft replaced the IJ-21 Jastrebs with the Leteće zvezde team. They were painted in colors of Yugoslav Flag, blue, white and red.
The Regiment was active in combat operations during the 1991 and early 1992 during the war in Croatia. Due the first Croatian hostile activities against Yugoslav People's Army units, 105th Regiment has received order to retreat from Zemunik airport to Udbina airport in Serb controlled Krajina with its two combat squadrons, 249th and 251st Fighter-Bomber Aviation Squadron, while 333rd Squadron was dislocated to Golubovci Air Base. Two squadrons at Udbina have got their nicknames and badges - 249th - "Kobre" (Cobras) and 251st - "Pume" (Pumas). The main tasks of 105th Regiment during the war were air support to Yugoslav People's Army ground units of 9th Corps and Naval forces.
Due the withdrawn of Yugoslav People's Army from Croatia, regiment has been dislocated to Golubovci, Montenegro, where it has been disbanded in early April 1992. The 251st Fighter-Bomber Aviation Squadron was reattached to 172nd Aviation Brigade. 249th Squadron was disbanded and its equipment and personal were divided by 172nd Aviation Brigade and 252nd Fighter-Bomber Aviation Squadron.
The commanders of regiment in this period were Aleksandar Radičević, Branko Glumac, Branislav Novaković, Svetislav Nešović, Radivoje Kaćanski, Ismet Kulenović, Teodor Majev, Momčilo Nikić, Gajo Vukčević, Miloš Bajčetić, Janez Turk, Milovan Ristić, Radomir Brković, Jovan Marić, Radovan Veselinović and Nikola Dukić.
105th Aviation Brigade
In the spring of 1993 the Military of Serbian Krajina has re-established the 105th Aviation Brigade (105. ваздухопловна бригада/105. vazduhoplovna brigada) at Udbina airport. Its accurate organization is unknown, and not exactly the clearest was the brigade part of Republika Srpska Air Force (because the aircraft had same roundels).
It has consisted from at least one combat squadron nicknamed "Kobre" (Cobras - same as former 249th Squadron)b and 56th Mixed Helicopter Squadron.
Brigade was equipped with 12 J-21 Jastreb light ground-attack aircraft, at least two G-2 Galeb trainer jets, 4 Soko Gazelle helicopters and 4 Gazelle Gama anti-tank helicopters, two Mil Mi-8T transport helicopters, one Antonov An-2 and number of Utva 66, Utva 75, J-20 Kraguj and Zlin Z-526 aircraft.
Aircraft from Udbina airport have took part in both wars in Croatia and Bosnia due the Republika Srpska Air Force aircraft at Banja Luka airport were enable to take of under the no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina. In several combats Gazelle Gama anti-tank helicopters were very effective destroying Croatian army tanks.[citation needed]
At the time of the Croatian Operation Storm most of aircraft in flying condition have retreated to Banja Luka. Transport helicopters have preformed their last evacuation flights. By the fall of the Republic of Serbian Krajina in summer 1995 and the defeat of Military of Serbian Krajina the 105th Aviation Brigade ceased to exist.
Commander of brigade was Ratko Dopuđa.
Assignments
- Military Aviation College (1946–1949)
- Active Aviation Officers School of Military Aviation Academy (1949–1952)
- Flight training center (1953–1960)
- Military Aviation Academy (1960–1991)
- Military of Serbian Krajina ore Republika Srpska Air Force (1993-1995)
Previous designations
- 3rd Training Aviation Regiment (1945–1948)
- 105th Assault-Training Aviation Regiment (1948–1949)
- 105th Training Aviation Regiment (1951–1956)
- 2nd Pilot School (1956–1960)
- 105th Training Aviation Regiment (1960–1969)
- 105th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment (1969-1992)
- 105th Aviation Brigade (1993-1995)
Organization
1961-1966
- 105th Training Aviation Regiment
1966-1974
- 105th Training Aviation Regiment (Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment)
1974-1992
- 105th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment
- 249th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Squadron
- 229th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Squadron
- 3rd Mixed Aviation Squadron/ 333rd Mixed Aviation Squadron (Leteće zvezde aerobatic group since 1985 until 1991)
Air Bases
- Kovin (1946–1949)
- Mostar (1949)
- Nikšić (1949)
- Titograd (1951-1960)
- Zemunik (1961-1991)
- Udbina Airport (1991-1992)
- Golubovci (1992)
- Udbina Airport (1993-1995)
Commanding officers
Date appointed | Name |
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Aleksandar Radičević-Zemlja | |
Aleksandar Radičević | |
Branko Glumac | |
Branislav Novaković | |
1954 (died when his aircraft crashed on February 8, 1955) | Svetislav Nešović, |
1955 | Radivoje Kaćanski |
1957 | Ismet Kulenović |
1962 | Teodor Majev |
1964 | Momčilo Nikić |
1968 | Gajo Vukčević |
1972 | Miloš Bajčetić |
1976 | Janez Turk |
1980 | Milovan Ristić |
1981 | Radomir Brković |
1986 | Jovan Marić |
1989 | Radovan Veselinović |
1991 - 1992 | Nikola Dukić |
1993 - 1995 | Ratko Dopuđa |
Equipment
- Ilyushin Il-2 (1946–1949)
- Yakovlev UT-2 (1946-1949)
- Ikarus Aero 2B/C (1946–1949, 1951-1958)
- Utva Aero 3 (1958-1966)
- Soko 522 (1959-1966)
- Soko G-2 Galeb (1966-1992)
- Zlin 526F (1973/4-1988)
- Utva 75 (1980-1992)
- Soko G-4 Super Galeb (1986-1992)
- Soko IJ-21 Jastreb (1985-1990), used by Leteće zvezde
References
- Yugoslav Air Force 1942-1992, Bojan Dimitrijevic, Belgrade 2006