Milenko Pavlović (
Serbian Cyrillic
The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet (, ), also known as the Serbian script, (, ), is a standardized variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language. It originated in medieval Serbia and was significantly reformed in the 19th cen ...
: Миленко Павловић; 5 October 1959 – 4 May 1999) was a
Yugoslav fighter pilot
A fighter pilot or combat pilot is a Military aviation, military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat, Air-to-ground weaponry, air-to-ground combat and sometimes Electronic-warfare aircraft, electronic warfare while in the cockpit of ...
who fought in the
Kosovo War
The Kosovo War (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Косовски рат, Kosovski rat) was an armed conflict in Kosovo that lasted from 28 February 1998 until 11 June 1999. It ...
and came to prominence after he was killed during the
NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Serbia and Montenegro, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombing ...
.
Early life
Pavlović was born to parents Milorad and Radmila Pavlović, in the village of
Gornje Crniljevo
Gornje Crniljevo is a village located in Osečina Municipality, Kolubara District, Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem ...
on 5 October 1959. He finished the first four grades of primary school in his hometown, and the next four in
Osečina
Osečina ( sr-cyr, Осечина, ) is a town and municipality located in the Kolubara District of western Serbia. As of 2022, the population of the town is 2,456, while population of the municipality is 9,951 inhabitants.
Settlements
Apart fro ...
. He finished high school in
Mostar
Mostar () is a city and the administrative centre of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina.
Mostar is situated on the Neretva Riv ...
. Although he initially rejected the possibility, he later decided to become a military pilot.
Death and legacy
On 4 May 1999, a lone Yugoslav
MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 (; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twinjet, twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG-29, along with the large ...
flown by Pavlović attempted to intercept a large
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
formation that was returning to base having just bombed
Valjevo
Valjevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Ваљево, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Kolubara District in western Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the city itself has a population of 56,145 while the city admini ...
(where Pavlović grew up). It was engaged by a pair of USAF F-16CJs from the
78th Fighter Squadron and shot down with an AIM-120, killing Pavlović.
Originally, a younger pilot was intended to scramble the MiG-29 before Pavlović himself pulled the younger pilot out of the cockpit before he would take off, allegedly telling the younger pilot that he 'was not going to die', but that Pavlović himself would.
Streets in
Novi Sad
Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...
,
Valjevo
Valjevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Ваљево, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Kolubara District in western Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the city itself has a population of 56,145 while the city admini ...
,
Batajnica
Batajnica ( sr-Cyrl, Батајница, ) is an List of Belgrade neighborhoods, urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia. It is located in the Belgrade municipality of Zemun.
Location and geography
Batajnica is located in the ...
,
Osečina
Osečina ( sr-cyr, Осечина, ) is a town and municipality located in the Kolubara District of western Serbia. As of 2022, the population of the town is 2,456, while population of the municipality is 9,951 inhabitants.
Settlements
Apart fro ...
and
Gornje Crniljevo
Gornje Crniljevo is a village located in Osečina Municipality, Kolubara District, Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem ...
are named after him. On 26 June 2019, the
Batajnica Air Base
The Colonel-pilot Milenko Pavlović Air Base (), commonly known as Batajnica Air Base () is the main military air base of Serbia. It is located between Batajnica and Nova Pazova, about 25 km northwest from the center of Belgrade, Serbia.
Histo ...
was renamed in his honor.
Personal life
He was married to Slavica and had two sons: Srđan and Nemanja (b. 1990) who is a former
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
.
See also
*
Zoran Radosavljević Zoran Radosavljević may refer to:
* Zoran Radosavljević (footballer) (born 1968), Serbian footballer
* Zoran Radosavljević (pilot) (1965–1999), Yugoslav fighter pilot
{{hndis, Radosavljevic, Zoran ...
References
External links
Valjevo pamti pilota - heroja
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pavlovic, Milenko
1959 births
1999 deaths
People from Osečina
Yugoslav People's Army personnel
Yugoslav military personnel killed in action
Yugoslav aviators
Serbian aviators
Serbian military personnel killed in action
Serbian military personnel of the Kosovo War
Military personnel killed in the Kosovo War
Aviators killed by being shot down
People killed during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1999
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Serbia