The 461st Light Combat Aviation Squadron (''

Serbo-Croatian Serbo-Croatian () – also called Serbo-Croat (), Serbo-Croat-Bosnian (SCB), Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian (BCS), and Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS) – is a South Slavic language and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and ...

: 461. eskadrila lake borbene avijacije / 461. ескадрила лаке борбене авијације'') was an aviation squadron of Yugoslav Air Force formed in 1953 at Niš airfield as Training Squadron of 29th Aviation Division (''

: Trenažna eskadrila 29. vazduhoplovne divizije / Тренажна ескадрила 29. ваздухопловне дивизије'').

History

Squadron was part of 29th Aviation Division. It was equipped with US-made F-47D Thunderbolt fighter-bombers and Yugoslav-made Ikarus Aero 2 trainers. In 1959 due to the Drvar reorganization this squadron became the Light Combat Aviation Squadron of 3rd Air Command (''

: Vazduhoplovna eskadrila lake borbene avijacije 3. vazduhoplovne komande / Ваздухопловна ескадрила лаке борбене авијације 3. ваздухопловне команде''). Squadron was again renamed and renumbered in April 1961 as 461st Light Combat Aviation Squadron. In same year new Soko 522 trainer aircraft have been introduced replacing older Thunderbolts and Aero 2 aircraft. By order from June 8, 1968, it has been disbanded. It was reestablished by order from March 7, 1973, at Pančevo airfield as part of 98th Aviation Brigade. Soko 522 trainers were replaced with Utva 66 liaison aircraft and Soko J-20 Kraguj

counter-insurgency aircraft Counter-insurgency aircraft or COIN aircraft are a specialized variety of military light attack aircraft, designed for counter-insurgency operations, armed reconnaissance, air escort of ground forces, and ground support against "low-intensity engag ...

during the 1976 and 1977. Squadron has become independent under 1st Air Corps in 1978 by order from November 1976. 461st Squadron has been disbanded by order from November 16, 1981. Its personnel and equipment were attached to the 525th Training Aviation Squadron.Dimitrijević, Bojan. ''Jugoslovensko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo 1942-1992''. Beograd, 2006, p. 370.

Assignments

* 29th Aviation Division (1953–1959) *

3rd Air Command The 3rd Air Command (''Serbo-Croatian language, Serbo-Croatian: 3. vazduhoplovna komanda/ 3. ваздухопловна команда'') was a joint unit of Yugoslav Air Force. History It was established by the order from June 27, 1959, on Novem ...

(1959–1964) * 98th Aviation Brigade (1964-1968, 1973-1978) *

1st Aviation Corps First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number 1 (number), one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, D ...

(1978-1981)

Previous designations

*Training Squadron of 29th Aviation Division (1953-1959) *Light Combat Aviation Squadron of 3rd Air Command (1959–1961) *461st Light Combat Aviation Squadron (1961-1981)

Bases stationed

Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while ...

(1953–1968) *

Pančevo Pančevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Панчево, ; german: Pantschowa; hu, Pancsova; ro, Panciova; sk, Pánčevo) is a city and the administrative center of the South Banat District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is located on ...

(1973–1981)

Equipment

F-47D Thunderbolt The P-47 Thunderbolt was a World War II fighter aircraft built by Republic Aviation from 1941 to 1945. Early designs XP-47 (AP-10) In response to a USAAC requirement for a new fighter aircraft, Republic Aviation engineer Alexander Kartveli p ...

(1953-1961) * Ikarus Aero 2B/C (1953–1961) *

Soko 522 The Soko 522 was a two-seater Yugoslav military training and light attack aircraft produced in the 1950s by SOKO in Yugoslavia. History The ''Soko 522'' was designed by Yugoslav engineers Šostarić, Marjanović and Čurčić at the Ikarus Airc ...

(1961-1968, 1973-1977) *

Soko J-20 Kraguj The Soko J-20 Kraguj (''Sparrowhawk'') is a light military, single-engine, low-wing single-seat aircraft with a metal airframe, capable of performing close air support, counterinsurgency (COIN), and reconnaissance missions, that was designed by ...

(1976-1981) *

Utva 66 The UTVA-66 is a STOL aircraft, which was produced in the former Yugoslavia. It was developed from the UTVA-60 and first flew 1966. Description The aircraft was built for landing on unprepared fields and its STOL A short takeoff and landing (S ...

(1977-1981)

References

Yugoslav Air Force squadrons Military units and formations established in 1953