North Macedonia Air Brigade
The North Macedonia Air Brigade, the air arm of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia, was created in 1992 with borrowed light aircraft because the Yugoslav army had taken every military aircraft to Serbia, became a combat force almost overnight in the 2001 conflict with Mi-24 gunships and Su-25 jets bought from Ukraine, gave both types to Ukraine after 2022, and now flies a small helicopter and training fleet from Petrovec while Greek and Italian fighters police its skies and eight new Leonardo helicopters are on order.
The North Macedonia Air Brigade story: leased light planes in 1992, a war air force in 2001 and helicopters for fires
1992-2000: an air force without aircraft
When Macedonia left Yugoslavia in 1991 the Yugoslav People’s Army withdrew to Serbia and took its aircraft with it. The new state began building an air arm with almost nothing. The army’s official history says formation work started on 28 February 1992 in the former JNA House under Colonel Mile Manolev, that the Air Force and Air Defence was established as a branch on 10 April 1992 by decision of the first president, and that flight training began on 10 June 1992 — the date now kept as Air Force Day. The first aircraft were one UTVA-66 and four UTVA-75 light planes leased from the Macedonian aviation union and flown in civil markings. Under a UN arms embargo, four Mi-17 helicopters arrived from Ukraine in 1994; Aeroflight says they came in white medical colours. An all-Macedonian crew first flew one on 5 July 1994. Zlin 242L trainers from the Czech Republic followed in 1995–1996. For most of the 1990s this was a flying school with a few transport helicopters.
2001: a war air force bought in six months
The 2001 conflict with the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army changed that within months. Between 17 March and 4 September 2001, the official history says, the air force received Mi-8 and UH-1H transport helicopters, Mi-24 and Mi-24K gunships and Su-25 attack aircraft. The army counts 12 Mi-24s bought from Ukraine, ten Mi-24V and two Mi-24K; the Su-25s were three single-seaters and one two-seater, and the two Hueys were a Greek gift. Aeroflight dates the first air combat operations to 25 March 2001 around Tetovo and the first Su-25 mission from Petrovec to 24 June; Wikipedia gives 23 June for a reconnaissance flight over Aracinovo. Wikipedia, citing Gordon and Dawes, says the Su-25s were flown by Ukrainian pilots; no Macedonian official statement on that was found. The only aircraft lost that year was a Mi-17 whose rotor struck a flagpole at Popova Shapka on 17 March, according to Wikipedia. The fighting ended with the Ohrid Framework Agreement of 13 August 2001.
2002-2012: shrinking, upgrading and the Blace crash
The war fleet proved expensive to keep. After a reorganisation in 2002 the brigade became an air wing with four squadrons, and the Su-25s were withdrawn in 2004 and left in the open at Skopje airport. The money went instead into the helicopters: the Jasmin programme from 2004 gave Mi-24s and Mi-17s a head-up display and new avionics, and a second phase, Alexander, followed from 2007. The army says the Mi-24s reached NATO and ICAO standards and could fly at night, but the planned guided missiles were never bought for lack of money. Mi-17s flew four rotations with the EU’s Althea mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 2006 and 2008. The heaviest loss found in its history came on 12 January 2008, when a Mi-17 returning crew from Althea crashed near Blace, Katlanovo, killing 11 members of the wing. The Greek Hueys were retired in 2009, and a Pilot Training Center with Bell 206 helicopters was agreed in December 2010.
2018-2023: NATO membership, and the jets and gunships go to Ukraine
In 2018 the brigade was reorganised again as the Air Force Wing, the name the Macedonian-language site still uses (Vozduhoploven VING). North Macedonia joined NATO as its 30th member on 27 March 2020, and in 2021 its airspace was brought into the Alliance’s air policing system; the army’s 2026 Air Force Day flypast was flown by Hellenic Air Force F-16s and Italian Typhoons, the jets that police the country’s skies. The country has no fighters of its own. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine it gave away the combat aircraft that no longer fitted: RFE/RL reported in August 2022 that four warplanes might be going with T-72 tanks, and according to Wikipedia Defence Minister Slavjanka Petrovska confirmed the transfer of four non-airworthy Su-25s on 14 March 2023. The whole Mi-24 fleet followed; Wikipedia says 12 were delivered in 2023, while Oryx records only one confirmed and all probably by early 2025.
2024-2026: Leonardo helicopters and borrowed fighters
What is left is a small helicopter and training force: two Mi-17s and four Mi-8MTVs in the Helicopter Squadron, and Zlin 242L and 143L aircraft and Bell 206 helicopters in the Training and Exercise Squadron, all at the Strasho Pindzur barracks in Petrovec beside Skopje International Airport. The ground side is the Air Surveillance and Reporting Battalion and an air defence battery. In 2024 the Ministry of Defence signed with Leonardo for four AW149 and four AW169M helicopters, seven for transport, firefighting and rescue and one for medical work, due between the second half of 2026 and the end of 2028; in July 2026 the wing’s commander called their introduction a transition to a new generation of capability. The good side is realism: a small country that uses its helicopters for fires and rescue and relies on allies for air defence. The weak side is thin depth — six ageing Soviet-built helicopters carry the load until the Italian machines arrive, and no delivery had been confirmed on the official site by the end of September 2026.
The North Macedonia Air Brigade in numbers
Service
- Native name
- Воздухопловен ВИНГ (Vozduhoploven VING)The name on the Macedonian pages of the army site, literally Air Force Wing. The English pages call the unit the Air Brigade and the news items the Air Force WING or AF VING. English Wikipedia titles it North Macedonia Air Brigade. No Albanian form was found on the official site, which is published in Macedonian and English only
- Founded
- 10 April 1992Air Force and Air Defence established as a branch by decision of the first president; formation work began on 28 February 1992. Wikipedia and Aeroflight give 10 June 1992, the day flight training began and the date kept as Air Force Day
- Part of
- Army of the Republic of North MacedoniaOne of seven units of the Operations Command, alongside the 1st Infantry Brigade and five battalions and companies
- Headquarters
- Petrovec, next to Skopje International AirportThe Strasho Pindzur barracks in Petrovec
- Commander
- Col. Dragan PavlovskiIn post by November 2025; deputy Col. Igor Chkorov since 31 December 2021
- Air Force Day
- 10 JuneMarks the first military flight of 1992
Strength
- Combat aircraft
- NoneThe four Su-25s were withdrawn in 2004 and transferred to Ukraine (confirmed March 2023); the 12 Mi-24 gunships also went to Ukraine. Wikipedia says the country does not intend to operate fighters and relies on NATO for air cover
- Helicopters
-
- Mil Mi-17 — 2
- Mil Mi-8MTV — 4
- Bell 206B-3 — 4 (training)
Numbers from Wikipedia’s inventory table; the army publishes types but not numbers
- Trainers
-
- Zlin Z 242L — 5
- Zlin Z 143L — 1
Training and Exercise Squadron; numbers from Wikipedia
- On order
-
- Leonardo AW149 — 4
- Leonardo AW169M — 4
Contract of 2024; deliveries planned from the second half of 2026 to the end of 2028
- Ground-based air defence
- Air defence batteryThe army lists an Air Defence Battery in the wing; Wikipedia gives its weapon as the 9K35 Strela-10. The 2024 modernisation plan calls for very-low-altitude air defence systems
- Defence spending
- 1.85 per cent of GDP (2024)As reported by The Defense Post in April 2024, with a third of it for modernisation. Figures for 2025 and 2026 were not confirmed on a fetched page
Infrastructure
- Air base
- Petrovec (Skopje)The only military flying base; the wing shares Skopje International Airport
- Training area
- KrivolakArmy training area used for helicopter and allied air activity, for example Neptune Strike 22 in February 2022; not an airfield
- Air policing
- Greece and ItalyAirspace in the NATO air policing system since 2021; Hellenic F-16s and Italian Typhoons flew the 2026 Air Force Day flypast as part of regular regional air policing
- Air surveillance
- Air Surveillance and Reporting BattalionReceived its first combat flag on 10 June 2026
- Flying squadrons
- 2Helicopter Squadron and Training and Exercise Squadron, plus a technical maintenance squadron
How the North Macedonia Air Brigade is organised
One air wing under the Operations Command, at Petrovec beside Skopje International Airport, with a helicopter squadron, a training and exercise squadron, a maintenance squadron, an air surveillance battalion and an air defence battery. North Macedonia has never had fighters; since 2021 its airspace has been policed under NATO by Greek and Italian fighters. The Mi-24 gunships and Su-25 jets bought in 2001 have all gone to Ukraine.
Air Force Wing
One of seven units of the Operations Command of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia, not a separate service; the English pages of the army site call it the Air Brigade. Col. Dragan Pavlovski, at NATO Headquarters from 2020 to 2025, was in command by November 2025; his deputy since 31 December 2021 is Col. Igor Chkorov.
Helicopter Squadron
The wing’s working core since the first Mi-17 arrived from Ukraine in 1994: two Mi-17s and four Mi-8MTVs for transport, rescue and firefighting. Four AW149s and four AW169Ms were ordered from Leonardo in 2024 for delivery from the second half of 2026; none had been announced as delivered by 30 September 2026.
Training and Exercise Squadron
Pilot selection and basic training on five Zlin Z 242L and one Z 143L aircraft and four Bell 206 helicopters. It descends from the 101st Aviation Squadron, formed on the Zlin in 1996, and took its present name in 2020.
Air Force Technical Maintenance Squadron
Formed in 1992 as a maintenance company for the leased UTVA trainers, it has since kept every type the wing has flown, from the Mi-17 and Zlin to the Mi-24 and Su-25.
Air Surveillance and Reporting Battalion
The wing’s radar unit, which received its first combat flag on 10 June 2026. An air defence battery, armed with the Strela-10 according to Wikipedia, completes the ground side.
What the North Macedonia Air Brigade flies today
Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.
| Type | Role | In service | Since | Units | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mil Mi-17 and Mi-8MTVIn service | Transport and utility helicopter | 6 | 1994 | Two Mi-17 and four Mi-8MTV per Wikipedia. Eight delivered: four Mi-17 in 1994 and four Mi-8 in 2001; two Mi-17s were lost, on 17 March 2001 and 12 January 2008. | ||
| Zlín Z 242LIn service | Basic trainer | 5 | 1996 | Five per Wikipedia’s inventory. Four were bought first; one was lost on 7 April 1999 according to Wikipedia, so later additions are implied but not dated in the sources checked. | ||
| Zlín Z 143LIn service | Trainer and liaison | 1 | 2003 | One, per Wikipedia. | ||
| Bell 206B-3 JetRangerIn service | Training helicopter | 4 | Four, per Wikipedia. |
On order
| Type | Ordered | First delivery | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardo AW149On order | 4 | 2026 | Part of an eight-helicopter contract signed with Leonardo in 2024.
MoreDeliveries were planned from the second half of 2026 to the end of 2028; no delivery had been announced on the army site by 30 September 2026. The contract value was not confirmed on a fetched page. |
|
| Leonardo AW169MOn order | 4 | 2026 | Light military version; one of the eight helicopters in the package is to be equipped for medical work. Same delivery window as the AW149. |
Every type the North Macedonia Air Brigade has retired
5 types, from the UTVA-75A21 and UTVA-66 to the Mil Mi-24V and Mi-24K. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.
| Type | Role | Peak | Served | Replaced by | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mil Mi-24V and Mi-24K | Attack and reconnaissance helicopter | 12 | 2001–2023 | Ten Mi-24V and two Mi-24K (photo-reconnaissance), bought from Ukraine in 2001 in several batches. | ||
| Bell UH-1H Iroquois | Utility helicopter | 2 | 2001–2009 | Two, a gift from Greece. | ||
| Sukhoi Su-25 and Su-25UB | Close air support | 4 | 2001–2004 | Three single-seat and one two-seat; Wikipedia says the two-seater came from Belarus via Ukraine. | ||
| UTVA-75A21 and UTVA-66 | Light trainer and liaison | 5 | 1992–2000 | Zlin Z 242L | Four UTVA-75A21 and one UTVA-66, leased. | |
| Antonov An-2 | Light transport and parachute training | 1 | 2003– | One, from the Kumanovo aviation club, per Wikipedia. |
Where the North Macedonia Air Brigade flies from
Black pins are active bases, hollow pins the airfields that have closed. Petrovec, on the military side of Skopje International Airport, is the country’s only military flying base, and the fighters that guard its sky are not Macedonian: Greek and Italian jets fly NATO air policing, and none is based here. Krivolak is the army training range where the helicopters fire their weapons, not an airfield, and the Skopje fields of 1912–1944 have closed. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krivolak Army Training RangeVardar Statistical Region | Active | |||
| PetrovecSkopje Statistical Region (airport in Petrovec Municipality) | LWSK | Active | 16/342,950 m |
|
| Skopje early airfields1912–1944Skopje Statistical Region | Closed |
No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the North Macedonia Air Brigade
Flying units by base, current units first. Only two flying squadrons remain, one for helicopters and one for training; the numbered squadrons of 2001 — the 101st with Su-25s, the 201st with Mi-24s and the 401st for training — and the Yugoslav squadrons that left Petrovec in 1992 are listed as former units, the Yugoslav ones marked as not Macedonian. Where a unit designation rests on Wikipedia alone, the entry says so.
- Helicopter Squadron (Helikopterski skvadron)Transport helicopter squadron · active
- Mi-8MT/MTV and Mi-17 (Mi-8/17), Leonardo AW149 (on order), Leonardo AW169M (on order)
- Training Squadron (Skvadron za obuka i trening)Training squadron · active
- Zlin Z 242L, Bell 206B
- 101st Aviation Squadron (Su-25)2001–2004
- Sukhoi Su-25 and Su-25UB
- 201st Anti-Armour Helicopter Squadron (Mi-24)2001–2023
- Mi-24V and Mi-24K
- 401st Training Squadron2001–2009
- Zlin Z 242L, Bell UH-1H (ex-Greek)
No unit matches that search.
North Macedonia Air Brigade milestones, 1914 to today
28 February: formation of the Air Force and Air Defence begins. 10 April: it is established as a branch of the armed forces. 10 June: flight training begins, now Air Force Day. The first aircraft are one UTVA-66 and four UTVA-75s leased in civil markings.
Four Mi-17 transport helicopters arrive from Ukraine despite the UN arms embargo; on 5 July an all-Macedonian crew flies one for the first time.
15 November: Macedonia joins NATO’s Partnership for Peace.
Zlin 242L trainers arrive from the Czech Republic and equip the 101st Aviation Squadron (Aeroflight dates them to 1995).
17 March to 4 September: Mi-8, UH-1H, Mi-24, Mi-24K and Su-25 join the fleet. 25 March: first combat operations around Tetovo. 24 June: first Su-25 mission from Petrovec. 13 August: the Ohrid Framework Agreement ends the conflict.
Reorganisation turns the aviation brigade into an air wing with four squadrons.
The Jasmin upgrade of the Mi-24 and Mi-17 begins, adding a head-up display; the Su-25s are withdrawn.
Mi-17s begin the first of four rotations with EUFOR Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which run until 2008.
12 January: a Mi-17 returning from Althea crashes near Blace, Katlanovo, killing 11 members of the wing.
The two Greek-donated UH-1H helicopters are retired.
December: agreement signed to set up the Pilot Training Center.
The Air Brigade is transformed into the Air Force Wing.
27 March: North Macedonia becomes NATO’s 30th member.
The country’s airspace joins NATO’s air policing system.
14 March: the defence minister confirms that four non-airworthy Su-25s have gone to Ukraine; the Mi-24 fleet follows (dated 2023 by Wikipedia, by early 2025 by Oryx).
Contract with Leonardo for four AW149 and four AW169M helicopters.
10 June: Hellenic F-16s and Italian Typhoons fly past for Air Force Day. July: the wing prepares for the first AW149 deliveries.
Every conflict and operation the North Macedonia Air Brigade has flown in
Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.
- The 2001 conflict in Macedonia 2001 Transport, reconnaissance and fire support for government forces with Mi-8/17 and Mi-24 helicopters and, from June, Su-25 aircraft
- EUFOR Althea 2006–2008 A helicopter detachment with Mi-17s for the EU peace operation, in four rotations
Who built the North Macedonia Air Brigade fleet
Every company behind the aircraft on this page has its own page: the story, every type it built, the numbers and the other air forces that fly them.
Everything people ask about the North Macedonia Air Brigade
What is North Macedonia’s air force called?
Does North Macedonia have fighter jets?
What aircraft does the North Macedonia Air Brigade fly?
When was the air force founded?
What did the air force do in the 2001 conflict?
What happened to North Macedonia’s Mi-24s and Su-25s?
What was the Blace helicopter crash?
Which new helicopters is North Macedonia buying?
Where is the North Macedonia Air Brigade based?
When did North Macedonia join NATO?
Read the aircraft the North Macedonia Air Brigade flew
Every type with a page in the Book of Beasts, in service first, then by the year it left the fleet.
Every fact, checked
- Army of the Republic of North Macedonia: Air Brigade (English)Official history: formation began 28 February 1992; Air Force and Air Defence established 10 April 1992 by presidential decision; flight training from 10 June 1992; four Mi-17 in 1994; Zlin 242 in 1996; 2001 expansion 17 March to 4 September; Jasmin and Alexander upgrades; 2018 transformation into the Air Force Wing; commander Col. Dragan Pavlovski and deputy Col. Igor Chkorov.
- Army of the Republic of North Macedonia: Vozduhoploven VING (Macedonian)Macedonian page; the unit name as the official site spells it in Cyrillic; commander Col. Dragan Pavlovski; 2012 exercise in Hungary with two Mi-24s and a Mi-8MT.
- Army of the Republic of North Macedonia: Komanda za operacii (Macedonian)Lists the Vozduhoploven VING among the units of the Operations Command.
- Army of the Republic of North Macedonia: Operations Command (English)Lists the Air Brigade among the seven units of the Operations Command.
- Army of the Republic of North Macedonia: HistoryNATO membership 27 March 2020; airspace joined the Alliance air policing system in December 2021; 2021 fires: 79 flight hours, 472 tonnes of water.
- ARM: Marking 10 June, the Day of the Air Force WING (10 June 2026)10 June marks the first military flight of 1992; flypast by Hellenic Air Force F-16s and Italian Air Force Typhoons as part of regular regional air policing; first combat flag for the Air Surveillance and Reporting Battalion; Chief of General Staff Maj. Gen. Sashko Lafchiski.
- ARM: Ceremonial observance of the Helicopter Squadron Day (3 July 2026)5 July 1994: first Mi-8/17 flight by an all-Macedonian crew; Col. Pavlovski on the implementation of the AW149 contracts.
- ARM: Marking Helicopter Squadron Day (5 July 2024)AF WING commander Col. Igorcho Stoimenovski; squadron commander Lt Col. Femi Lumani; AW149 and AW169M expected.
- ARM: Official visit of the Air Force VING Commander to Italy (3-7 November 2025)Col. Dragan Pavlovski as commander; talks on military aviation, air policing, training and air defence.
- ARM: Training FlightZlin Z 242L from 1996; Bell 206 helicopters; Pilot Training Center agreement December 2010; renamed Training and Exercise Squadron in 2020; commander Maj. Aleksandar Donev since June 2026.
- ARM: Helicopter SquadronFour Mi-17 in 1994, four Mi-8 in 2001; four EUFOR Althea rotations 2006-2008; 2024 contract with Leonardo for four AW149 and four AW169M.
- ARM: Combat Helicopter SquadronMi-24s from 2001: 12 bought from Ukraine, ten Mi-24V and two Mi-24K; night and NATO/ICAO avionics upgrade; planned guided missiles not bought for lack of money. Older page.
- ARM: Air Force Technical Maintenance SquadronMaintenance company formed in 1992 for UTVA 66 and UTVA 75; later Mi-17, Zlin 242L, Mi-8, Mi-24, UH-1H and Su-25; commander Maj. Muhamed Buchi since 31 July 2025.
- ARM: 15 years of the helicopter crash near Blace marked (12 January 2023)Eleven members of the Air Force Wing killed on the way back from the EUFOR Althea mission.
- ARM: Tribute to the 11 Army members killed in the helicopter crash near Blace, Katlanovo (12 January 2024)Mi-17 crash on 12 January 2008 near Blace, Katlanovo; names the eleven dead.
- ARM: Briefing on Army combat readiness in 2021 to the President (24 December 2021)The country’s sky became part of the NATO air policing system in 2021; military integration into NATO completed in 19 months.
- ARM: site search, air policing and air-wing news listingListing of official news items: Air Force Wing Day 2026, Italy visit 2025, Air Surveillance and Reporting Battalion days, Neptune Strike 22 flying at the Krivolak training area (4 February 2022).
- ARM: site search, helicopter crash anniversariesYearly commemorations every 12 January of the 2008 Blace crash.
- NATO: North Macedonia joins NATO as 30th Ally (27 March 2020)Accession on 27 March 2020 after the Accession Protocol of February 2019.
- The Defense Post: North Macedonia Buys Eight New Helicopters From Leonardo (3 April 2024)Four AW149 and four AW169M; seven for transport, firefighting and rescue, one medical; deliveries from the second half of 2026 to the end of 2028; defence spending 1.85 per cent of GDP.
- The Defense Post: North Macedonia articles indexLists the EU assistance measure of 17.1 million dollars (29 April 2025) and the US approval of 18 JLTVs (12 March 2024).
- RFE/RL: Ukrainians Thank North Macedonia For Supply Of Soviet-Era Tanks (6 August 2022)T-72 tanks sent; media reports of four warplanes not officially confirmed at the time; Russian reaction.
- Oryx: Answering the call, heavy weaponry supplied to UkraineNorth Macedonia: four Su-25 pledged August 2022, four delivered; ten Mi-24V and two Mi-24K, one or more confirmed delivered, likely all by early 2025.
- Aeroflight: Macedonian Air ForceFormed 10 June 1992 with one UTVA-66 and four UTVA-75A21 leased from the Macedonian aviation union; four Mi-17 from Ukraine in 1994 in white medical colours; four Zlin 242L in 1995; 2001: four Su-25, ten Mi-24V, four Mi-8MT and two UH-1H; first combat operations 25 March 2001; first fixed-wing combat mission 24 June 2001 from Petrovec.
- Army of the Republic of North Macedonia: Air Wing (Vozduhoploven VING)Official unit page: formed by decree 10 April 1992; first flight 10 June 1992 (UTVA-75, 20 minutes, Dračevo zone); first Mi-17 28 June 1994; Zlin 242 in 1996; 2001 deliveries; 2002, 2012 and 2018 reorganisations; 2010 handover and demolition of military buildings and hangars at the airport for TAV; commander Col Dragan Pavlovski; coordination with Petrovec aerodrome control.
- Army of the Republic of North Macedonia: Operations CommandStructure of the Operations Command, listing the Air Wing (Vozduhoploven VING).
- Army of the Republic of North Macedonia: Helicopter SquadronMi-8 and Mi-17; first flight by an all-Macedonian Mi-17 crew 5 July 1994; ALTHEA 2006–2008 in four rotations; 2024 Leonardo contract for four AW149 and four AW169M; commander Lt Col Femi Ljumani since May 2022.
- Army of the Republic of North Macedonia: Training Squadron (Skvadron za obuka i trening)Zlin 242L and Bell 206; first Zlin 242L in 1996; renamed Training Squadron in 2020; commander Maj Aleksandar Donev since June 2026; no airfield named.
- Army: patron-day ceremonies at the Petrovec and Prilep barracks (3 January 2025)Names the Petrovec barracks after People’s Hero Strašo Pindžur and places the Air Wing command there.
- Army: the Air Wing marks its unit day (10 June 2024)Unit day 10 June commemorates the first military flight of 1992; ceremony at the Strašo Pindžur barracks in Petrovec; then commander Col Igorčo Stoimenovski.
- Army: Helicopter Squadron Day (3 July 2026)Ceremony at the Strašo Pindžur barracks; wing commander Col Dragan Pavlovski on the coming Leonardo helicopters; Mi-8/17 in service.
- Army: 25th anniversary of the Popova Šapka helicopter accident (17 March 2026)Accident of 17 March 2001; one pilot killed; memorial at Popova Šapka.
- Army: fifteen years since the helicopter accident near Blace (12 January 2023)12 January 2008, near Katlanovsko Blace, helicopter returning from the EU ALTHEA mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina; 11 Air Wing members killed; memorials at Blace and at Air Wing headquarters.
- Army: LOM Praha specialists visit the Air Wing (22 July 2025)Six Czech specialists, 21–25 July 2025, to return part of the Mi-8/MT fleet to operational condition.
- Army: air support to fight the fire in the Jasen area (20 August 2025)Mi-8MT, 19–20 August 2025: 46 drops, about 102.5 tonnes of water.
- Army: aerial firefighting training (25 June 2026)Mi-8MT bucket training before the summer fire season.
- Army: rocket, gun and bomb training with Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters (1 November 2018)Live firing at the Krivolak army range (AP Krivolak): unguided rockets and 12.7 mm guns, 31 October 2018.
- Army: training with the Air Wing’s Mi-24 helicopters (29 July 2020)Mi-24 gun, rocket and bomb training at AP Krivolak.
- AIP North Macedonia, AD 2 LWSK Skopje (M-NAV)ARP 41°57’42"N 021°37’17"E, elevation 238 m, runway 16/34, asphalt, 45 m wide; 500 m displaced area before threshold 34; operator TAV Macedonia (AIRAC AMDT 73/74, 2024). No military section is described.
- AIP North Macedonia, AD 1.3 Index to aerodromes and heliports (effective 1 September 2026)Only two aerodromes are published: Skopje (LWSK) and Ohrid (LWOH).
- GlobalSecurity.org: Camp Able SentryUS camp near Skopje from 1992; Task Force Able Sentry with a helicopter detachment; Hunter UAV task force from March 1999; warm base from 1 January 2003.
- NATO Allied Air Command: NATO officially welcomes North Macedonia into collective air policing (9 December 2021)Ceremony at Skopje Airport; two Hellenic Air Force F-16s intercept a government Learjet; E-3A flypast; CAOC Torrejón controls the mission.
- FlightGlobal: North Macedonia signs almost €250m contract for Leonardo military helicopters (28 March 2024)Four AW149 and four AW169M, deliveries from 2026.
- Janes: North Macedonia confirms transfer of Su-25s to Ukraine (20 March 2023)Defence minister Slavjanka Petrovska confirmed on 14 March 2023 the transfer of four non-airworthy Su-25s (three Su-25, one Su-25UB); Mi-24 request under study.
- Racin.mk: North Macedonia delivered the 12 Mi-24 helicopters promised in 2023 (10 January 2025)Citing Ukraine’s Defense Express: 10 Mi-24V and 2 Mi-24K; in early 2023 only two were active, four stored and six used for spares.
- OurAirports airport database (public domain)
Figures verified 2026-09-30. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
Photographs: Photo: Dcvetic / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Rob Schleiffert from Holland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Z-143L in civil markings shown): GeXeS / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Acroterion / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Filip.vidinovski / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (UTVA 75 in other markings shown): Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)