The Yugoslav Air Force Volume 2 (Paperback)

Aleksander Radic

ISBN 10: 1914059174 / ISBN 13: 9781914059179

Editore: Helion & Company, Solihull, 2025

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Paperback. The first authoritative and richly illustrated account about air warfare over former Yugoslavia and the last years of the Yugoslav Air Force and Air Defence, in period 1991-1992. Following a brief war in Slovenia, and months of skirmishes and minor fighting in Croatia, during the autumn of 1991 the crisis in Yugoslavia culminated in an all-out war. The task of the Yugoslav Air Force and Air Defence (JRV i PVO) was to support friendly forces, foremost in regards of unblocking dozens of garrisons of the Yugoslav National Army (JNA), which the Croats were besieging. Decades of ideological pressure during the Communist era and the ideology of brotherhood and unity of the ethnic- and religious communities in the multinational Yugoslavia created an independent political factor within the federal armed forces. However, in the fall of 1991, the top brass of the armed forces lacked a clear- and realisable plan. Following several bitter battles, and extensive negotiations, the Croatian authorities have left many of the besieged JNA units to go. However, the Serbs in Croatia, supported by the federal armed forces, then continued to fight for the control over the areas under their control, until the war culminated in major showdowns for Dubrovnik and Vukovar. The official truce between Croatia and what was left of Yugoslavia by the time was set for 3 January 1992. However, it was followed by a series of incidents, causing deaths on both sides. Moreover, while the JNA peacefully withdrew from Macedonia, in February of the same year, new tensions erupted between the three dominant ethnic- and religious groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Indeed, a war erupted in that former republic of Yugoslavia only a month laterk with the forces loyal to the official government in Sarajevo, dominated by Muslims, and those of the Bosnian Croats, fought not only the JNA, but also the local Serbs. On 4 May 1992, the presidency in Beograd decided to withdraw the JNA from Bosnia and Herzegovina within 15 days, and to reform what was left of Yugoslavia as a new state. For the JRV i PVO, this was a particularly traumatic experience: out of a force including 860 fixed- and rotor-wing aircraft before the war, it was meanwhile down to about 770, but had to cram these into air bases of what was only 40% of the former state. Moreover, and before soon, writing was on the wall for the entire service, which was to be reformed as the air force of the Former Yugoslavia. Based on author's unique approach to local archives and first-hand sources, and illustrated by over 120 photographs and colour profiles, the Yugoslav Air Force in Battles for Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is the first ever authoritative account on combat operations of the former Yugoslav Air Force in the conflict that shaped the modern-day southern Europe, and an indispensable source of reference on contemporary military history of this part of the World. 59 colour photos, 17 b/w photos, 18 colour profiles, 3 colour illustrations, 5 colour maps, 2 b/w maps, 11 tables Based on authors unique approach to local archives and first-hand sources, and illustrated by over 120 photographs and color profiles, this book is the first ever authoritative account on combat operations of the former Yugoslav Air Force in the conflict that shaped the modern-day southern Europe. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.

Codice articolo 9781914059179

Dati bibliografici

• Titolo: The Yugoslav Air Force Volume 2 (Paperback)
• Editore: Helion & Company, Solihull
• Data di pubblicazione: 2025
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 1914059174
• ISBN 13: 9781914059179
• Rilegatura: Paperback
• Condizione: new

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Riassunto

Offers the first in-depth account of the Yugoslav Air Force's role in the Balkan wars of the 1990s, from Slovenia to Bosnia.In 1991, the long-brewing political crisis in Yugoslavia boiled over into armed confrontation. The first conflict, fought in Slovenia, was over in a matter of weeks. A second confrontation, that with Croatia, would be a much longer and bigger affair in which the Yugoslav Air Force would play a major role in supporting the Serb-dominated Federal forces.The troubles in Croatia had begun much earlier, and Serbian nationalism had stirred unrest long before Croatia sought independence. In late 1990, Croatian Serbs from a cluster of Serb-majority municipalities self-proclaimed their independence and began consolidating their control over more than a third of Croatia. In turn, keen to secede from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the new government in Zagreb was left with no choice but to start organising its own armed forces.On 14 September 1991, Croatia launched an offensive against the Yugoslav National Army (JNA) bases on its soil, resulting in the capture of many barracks and arms depots and the blockading of others. The result was that the Croats captured sufficient weaponry that they could face off against the Federal and Serbian forces on almost equal footing.In turn, the JNA launched its own full-blown strategic offensive with multiple operations across Croatia, aiming to defeat the latter’s nascent armed forces and capture Zagreb. Against this background, the Yugoslav Air Force and Air Defence (RV i PVO) found itself initially flying operations in support of JNA ‘peacekeepers’, before having to conduct months of combat operations in support of ground forces all over Croatia.Richly illustrated with original photographs – most in colour – and specially commissioned colour illustrations, Volume 2 of The Yugoslav Air Force In the Battles for Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1991–1992 provides a detailed examination of the RV i PVO’s operations over northern and eastern Croatia through the autumn of 1991.