Montenegrijnse luchtmacht
The Montenegrin Air Force (Vazduhoplovstvo Vojske Crne Gore) was born at independence in 2006 on the Yugoslav air base at Golubovci, inherited 17 G-4 Super Galeb jets it could not afford to fly, sold or gave them away, and today is a small helicopter force of Bell 412s and Bell 505s whose NATO airspace has been guarded by Greek and Italian fighters since 2017.
The Montenegrin Air Force story: a Yugoslav base, jets it could not keep and helicopters for rescue
1961–1991: Golubovci, a Yugoslav training base with a tunnel in the hill
Montenegro’s air force has no long national lineage of its own; its story starts on a Yugoslav airfield. In 1961 the Podgorica civil airport moved to Golubovci, about 5 km south of the city, where it has shared one 2,500-metre runway with the military ever since. According to English Wikipedia, the air base, now named Knjaz Danilo after the 19th-century ruler, was home to the Yugoslav Air Force’s 172nd Aviation Brigade and served as the main flying school for primary and basic pilot training. Its best-known feature was Šipčanik, an aircraft shelter tunnelled into a hill and linked to the runway by a taxiway of about 6 km. For the air force Montenegro would one day have, Golubovci was both an inheritance and a burden: far more airfield than a small new state would need.
1991 and 1999: flying from the base, then being bombed on it
The base’s war record belongs to the Yugoslav state, not to Montenegro, and it is contested. When the Yugoslav People’s Army moved on Dubrovnik in October 1991, English Wikipedia records Yugoslav Air Force MiG-21s striking Komolac on 1 October and further air attacks on the city on 3, 6, 18 and 20 October; the sources checked do not say which airfields those aircraft flew from, and Croatian and Yugoslav accounts of the campaign differ sharply. Eight years later the base was on the receiving end. During NATO’s Operation Allied Force in 1999 Golubovci was a frequent target, and the G-4 Super Galebs of the Leteće zvezde aerobatic team were destroyed there. Montenegro’s own government under Milo Đukanović was by then opposed to Slobodan Milošević, yet English Wikipedia counts eight deaths in Montenegro during the bombing. On 9 December 1999 Yugoslav Army troops and Montenegrin police faced off over control of the airport.
2006: independence and a jet fleet nobody could pay for
Serbia and Montenegro became a state union in 2003, and its air force was renamed accordingly. When Montenegro voted for independence in 2006 and the union ended in June, the bulk of the air force went to Serbia, but what stood at Golubovci stayed. Montenegro kept, by the government’s own later count, 17 G-4 Super Galeb jet trainers and four UTVA-75 piston trainers, alongside Gazelle and Mi-8 helicopters. It was a fleet built for a federal flying school, not for a small new army, and the government eventually said so plainly: in 2016 it told parliament that the costs of training, operating and maintaining the jets exceeded what the budget could bear and that keeping them was “not rational”. The bad side was obvious: aircraft were bought by a larger state and could not be sustained by a small one. The good side was that Montenegro recognised this quickly and did not pretend otherwise.
2010–2021: selling the Galebs, buying helicopters
The jets were dispersed in stages. Under an agreement signed on 14 April 2010, six G-4s flew to Batajnica in Serbia in October 2010, in exchange for shares in the Herceg Novi company Novi Prvoborac, night-start equipment for the air base and personal files held in Serbia. Seven more, according to the daily CdM, went to the Croatian firm ZPZ Aerospace for refurbishment. The last four were placed in storage in 2012, and on 25 February 2016 the government decided to sell them, with three UTVA-75s, a G-4 simulator and 18 Viper engines, putting the whole package at about €15.35 million and earmarking the proceeds for modern helicopters. Those helicopters came through Canada: Bell 412EPIs for firefighting, rescue and medical evacuation, and two Bell 505s ordered on 5 June 2020 for pilot training, delivered in September 2020 and March 2021 through a Canadian Commercial Corporation government-to-government deal.
2017–2026: NATO, borrowed fighters and a fourth helicopter type
Montenegro joined NATO as its 29th member on 5 June 2017. With no fighters of its own, it relies on its allies: NATO states that Greece and Italy have covered Montenegro’s airspace since 2017, as they have Albania’s since 2009, while an air surveillance and reporting centre at Golubovci feeds NATO’s air defence system. The air force’s real work is at home: fighting summer wildfires with 1,500-litre buckets, winching climbers off cliffs, as a Bell 412 did near Kotor on 28 September 2026, and flying the sick to hospital. In February 2025 Montenegro signed a maintenance contract with Bell through the Canadian Commercial Corporation, and on 12 June 2026 it agreed to buy four Airbus H145M helicopters from Germany, Germany’s first government-to-government arms sale. Whether the last stored G-4s have finally left Golubovci could not be confirmed on an official page and is left open here.
The Montenegrin Air Force in numbers
Dienst
- Inheemse naam
- Vazduhoplovstvo Vojske Crne GoreThe Ministry of Defence page abbreviates it VVCG. In Cyrillic, Montenegrin also writes Ваздухопловство Војске Црне Горе; the Cyrillic form was not seen on the official page
- Opgericht
- 2006Formed with the Armed Forces of Montenegro after independence in June 2006. Before that the base belonged to the air force of Yugoslavia (to 1992), the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1992–2003) and Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2006)
- Onderdeel van
- Armed Forces of MontenegroOne of three branches, with the Land Forces and the Navy. Chief of the General Staff: Brigadier General Miodrag Vuksanović
- Hoofdkwartier
- Golubovci air base, PodgoricaKnjaz Danilo air base shares its runway with Podgorica Airport
- Commandant
- Bojan Popadić (named 2022)Named as commander in a Bell press release of November 2022; not confirmed for 2026
- Minister van Defensie
- Dragan KrapovićIn office in September 2026
Kracht
- Personeel
- The whole Armed Forces of Montenegro number about 2,350 active personnel according to English Wikipedia; no official air force figure was found
- Helikopters
-
- Bell 412EP/EPI — 3
- Bell 505 Jet Ranger X — 2
- SOKO/Aérospatiale Gazelle — 0–6, status disputed
The ministry names the Bell 412 EP/EPI and Bell 505 as the backbone of the air force. English Wikipedia’s armed forces article gives 12 Bell 412s, which no other source supports
- Vliegtuigen met vaste vleugels
-
- Cessna 421B Golden Eagle — 1
Transport and medical evacuation; per English Wikipedia. The Air Tractor water bombers at Podgorica are registered to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, not the air force
- Op bestelling
- 4 Airbus H145MAgreed with Germany on 12 June 2026
- Defensiebudget
- About €134 million (2024)1.9 per cent of GDP, per English Wikipedia; a NATO figure for 2025–2026 was not confirmed
Infrastructuur
- Luchtbasis
- Golubovci (Knjaz Danilo), PodgoricaRunway 18/36, 2,500 m, shared with the civil airport
- Forward operating sites
- Seasonal, NikšićTemporary forward bases in the fire season, per English Wikipedia
- Cavern shelter
- Šipčanik, decommissionedAircraft shelter tunnelled into a hill, linked by a taxiway of about 6 km; converted to civilian use in the early 2000s
- Luchtpolitie
- Greece and Italy since 2017NATO: Greece and Italy have covered Montenegro’s airspace since 2017, Albania’s since 2009 and North Macedonia’s since 2020
- Luchtbewaking
- Air Surveillance and Reporting Centre, GolubovciReports into NATO’s integrated air defence system through the CAOC in Spain, per English Wikipedia
How the Montenegrin Air Force is organised
A small air arm at a single base, Golubovci, with a helicopter squadron and an air surveillance and reporting centre. Montenegro has flown no combat jets since independence in 2006 and owns no fighters; since it joined NATO in 2017, Greek and Italian fighters have covered its airspace. The Air Tractor water bombers at Podgorica belong to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, not the air force.
Montenegrijnse luchtmacht
One of three branches of the Armed Forces of Montenegro, with the Land Forces and the Navy, under the Chief of the General Staff, Brig. Gen. Miodrag Vuksanović. Bell named Bojan Popadić as its commander in November 2022; no official page naming the commander in 2026 was found.
Helikoptereskader
The backbone of the air force in the ministry’s words: three Bell 412EPIs for firefighting with 1,500-litre buckets, rescue and medical evacuation, and two Bell 505s for pilot training, delivered in 2020 and 2021. Four Airbus H145Ms were agreed with Germany on 12 June 2026.
Luchtbewakings- en rapportagecentrum
Feeds NATO’s integrated air defence system through the CAOC at Torrejón in Spain, according to English Wikipedia. Montenegro has no fighters; Greek and Italian jets have covered its airspace since 2017.
What the Montenegrin Air Force flies today
Elk type is gekoppeld aan de bijbehorende pagina in het Boek der Beesten, indien aanwezig. Het aantal vliegtuigen betreft de geregistreerde vliegtuigen, niet de vliegtuigen die op een bepaalde dag beschikbaar zijn.
| Type | Rol | In dienst | Sinds | Eenheden | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell 412EP/EPIIn dienst | Utility, search and rescue, medical evacuation and firefighting helicopter | 3 | 2020 | Three per Bell (2022) and English Wikipedia. English Wikipedia’s Armed Forces of Montenegro article gives 12, which no other source supports. | ||
| Bell 505 Jet Ranger XIn dienst | Trainings- en lichte utiliteitshelikopter | 2 | 2020 | Two, ordered 5 June 2020. | ||
| Cessna 421B Golden EagleIn dienst | Light transport and medical evacuation | 1 | One, per English Wikipedia; not confirmed on an official page. |
Op bestelling
| Type | Besteld | Eerste levering | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus Helicopters H145MOp bestelling | 4 | Agreed on 12 June 2026 by the defence ministers Boris Pistorius and Dragan Krapović: four light utility helicopters taken from a tranche ordered by the German Army, Germany’s first government-to-government defence sale.
Meer |
Every type the Montenegrin Air Force has retired
4 types, from the SOKO SA341/342 Gazelle (Gama and Partizan) to the SOKO SA341/342 Gazelle (Gama and Partizan). De piekcijfers hebben betrekking op het aantal vliegtuigen dat gedurende de gehele levensduur in gebruik is genomen, niet op de vlootsterkte op een bepaalde datum.
| Type | Rol | Piek | Geserveerd | Vervangen door | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOKO SA341/342 Gazelle (Gama and Partizan) | Lichte utiliteits- en trainingshelikopter | 2006–2020 | 0–6 in service, depending on the source: English Wikipedia’s air force article lists six SA342s in service and 13 stored since 2019, while its armed forces article says the Gazelles have not been used since 2020.
MeerThe official page names only the Bell types. |
|||
| SOKO G-4 Super Galeb | Straaljager voor training en lichte aanvalsvliegtuigen | 17 | 2006–2012 | Bell 412, Bell 505 | 17 inherited in 2006. Six went to Serbia in October 2010, seven to the Croatian firm ZPZ Aerospace (CdM), and four were stored in 2012 and offered for sale in 2016. | |
| UTVA-75 | Hoofdtrainer | 4 | 2006–2012 | Bell 505 | Four inherited; three offered for sale in 2016. | |
| Mil Mi-8 | Transporthelikopter | 4 | 2006–2012 | Bell 412 | Four, per English Wikipedia. |
Where the Montenegrin Air Force flies from
Zwarte pinnen geven actieve bases aan, holle pinnen de vliegvelden die gesloten zijn. Golubovci, the military side of Podgorica Airport, is Montenegro’s only air base, and it holds no fighters: the jets that guard Montenegrin airspace are Greek and Italian, flying NATO air policing. Šipčanik, the Yugoslav aircraft shelter tunnelled into the hill beside the runway, has been a wine cellar since 2007. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| Baseren | ICAO | Status | Startbaan | Eenheden en vliegtuigen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GolubovciGolubovci, Zeta, ten zuiden van Podgorica | LYPG | Actief | 18/362500 m |
|
| Vliegtuigloods ŠipčanikGolubovci, Zeta, beside Podgorica Airport | Gesloten in 2007. |
Geen enkele luchtmachtbasis voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.
Who is stationed where in the Montenegrin Air Force
Vliegende eenheden per basis, met de huidige eenheden eerst. The Helicopter Squadron is Montenegro’s only flying unit; the Yugoslav 127th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment and 172nd Aviation Brigade that trained jet pilots at Golubovci are listed as former units. Where a unit or date rests on Wikipedia alone, the entry says so.
- Helikoptereskader (Helikopterska eskadrila)Helikoptereskader · actief
- Bell 412 EP/EPI, Bell 505 Jet Ranger X, SOKO SA341/342 Gazelle (opgeslagen, volgens Wikipedia)
- Luchtbewakings- en rapportagecentrumLuchtbewaking · actief
- 172e Luchtvaartbrigade (172. vazduhoplovna brigada)
- SOKO G-4 Super Galeb
- 127e Jachtbommenwerperregiment
- SOKO G-4 Super Galeb (239th squadron), SOKO J-21 Jastreb (242nd squadron), SOKO J-22 Orao (242nd squadron)
Geen enkel apparaat voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.
Montenegrin Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
Podgorica’s civil airport moves to Golubovci and shares the military runway; the air base becomes a Yugoslav Air Force flying school with the Šipčanik tunnel shelter.
1 October: Yugoslav Air Force MiG-21s strike Komolac near Dubrovnik, the first of several air attacks in October, per English Wikipedia.
The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is formed from Serbia and Montenegro, and with it the FRY air force.
24 March–10 June: NATO’s Operation Allied Force; Golubovci is repeatedly bombed and the Leteće zvezde team’s G-4s are destroyed. 9 December: Yugoslav Army and Montenegrin police face off over the airport.
The FRY becomes the state union of Serbia and Montenegro; the air force is renamed.
June: Montenegro becomes independent; its new armed forces keep 17 G-4s and four UTVA-75s at Golubovci.
December: Montenegro is given a NATO Membership Action Plan.
14 April: agreement with Serbia; in October six G-4s fly to Batajnica.
2 September: a SOKO HS-42 Partizan helicopter crashes in the Bay of Kotor and three crew die, per English Wikipedia.
The last four G-4s are put in storage; the Mi-8s and UTVA-75s are retired.
25 February: the government decides to sell four G-4s, three UTVA-75s and the G-4 simulator to pay for new helicopters. 19 May: NATO accession protocol signed.
5 June: Montenegro joins NATO as the 29th member; Greece and Italy take over the policing of its airspace.
5 June: two Bell 505s ordered through Canada; the first is delivered in September. Bell 412s enter service the same year.
March: the second Bell 505 is delivered.
September: CdM reports an exchange with Slovenia, a G-4 and a Gazelle for naval guns.
25 February: maintenance and repair contract for the Bell 412 and Bell 505 fleet signed through the Canadian Commercial Corporation.
12 June: four Airbus H145M helicopters agreed with Germany.
Elke oorlog waarin de Montenegrijnse luchtmacht en de Joegoslavische luchtmacht daarvoor betrokken waren, maakte deel uit van...
Uitvallen en verliezen waar de gegevens die vermelden, en een eerlijke blanco waar die ontbreken.
- De Dubrovnik-campagne 1991 Yugoslav Air Force aircraft attacked targets in and around Dubrovnik in support of the Yugoslav People’s Army offensive
- NAVO-luchtkampagne tegen Joegoslavië 1999 Defended against the NATO air campaign; Golubovci air base was repeatedly attacked
Who built the Montenegrin Air Force fleet
Elk bedrijf dat betrokken is bij de vliegtuigen op deze pagina heeft zijn eigen pagina: het verhaal, elk type dat het heeft gebouwd, de aantallen en de andere luchtmachten die ermee vliegen.
Everything people ask about the Montenegrin Air Force
What is the Montenegrin Air Force called in Montenegrin?
What aircraft does the Montenegrin Air Force fly in 2026?
Beschikt Montenegro over straaljagers?
What happened to Montenegro’s G-4 Super Galeb jets?
What did Montenegro inherit from Yugoslavia at Golubovci?
Was Montenegro bombed by NATO in 1999?
When did Montenegro join NATO?
Are the Air Tractor water bombers at Podgorica air force aircraft?
What does the Montenegrin Air Force do day to day?
Read the aircraft the Montenegrin Air Force flew
Elk type met een pagina in het Boek der Dieren, eerst op basis van de periode dat het in dienst was, daarna op basis van het jaar waarin het de vloot verliet.
Alle feiten gecontroleerd
- Government of Montenegro, Ministry of Defence: VazduhoplovstvoOfficial name Vazduhoplovstvo VCG; tasks; Bell 412 EP/EPI and Bell 505 as backbone.
- Government of Montenegro: Krapović: Brza reakcija Vojske Crne Gore još jednom potvrdila svoju spremnost (28 September 2026)Bell 412 cliff rescue near Kotor; Minister of Defence Dragan Krapović.
- Government of Montenegro: Vuksanović primio nove potporučnike (29 September 2026)Headline only read, via the ministry’s front page; confirms Vuksanović in post.
- Ministry of Defence of Serbia: Two more G4 planes from Montenegro landed at Batajnica (23 October 2010)Six G-4s; agreement of 14 April 2010; Novi Prvoborac shares, night-start equipment and documents in return.
- CdM: Crna Gora prodaje avione Super Galeb (25 February 2016)Government decision on surplus aircraft: four G-4s, three UTVA-75s, simulator, engines; 17 G-4s and four UTVA-75s kept in 2006; six to Serbia, seven to ZPZ Aerospace.
- CdM: Slovenija donira Crnoj Gori sedam brodskih topova i 112 salvi, mi njoj avion G4 Super Galeb i helikopter Gazela (22 September 2023)Headline and snippet only (the article itself could not be read, HTTP 429): a G-4 and a Gazelle to Slovenia for naval guns.
- Vertical: Montenegro Air Force relies on Bell 412 EPis to fight wildfires (Bell press release, 11 November 2022)Three Bell 412EPIs, two Bell 505s; 1,500-litre bucket; Commander Bojan Popadić. Its figure of 200,000 firefighting flight hours is implausible and not used.
- Vertical: Montenegro Air Force signs purchase agreement for 2 Bell 505s (Bell press release, 5 June 2020)Two Bell 505s for training via CCC; Colonel Nenad Pavlović.
- Vertical: Bell delivers Montenegro Air Force’s 1st Bell 505 (15 September 2020)Headline and date from Vertical’s search listing; article not opened.
- Vertical: Air Ambulance Technology delivers first Bell 412 EMS kit to Montenegro Armed Forces (8 June 2020)Headline and date from Vertical’s search listing; article not opened.
- Vertical: CCC, Bell Textron Canada to provide aircraft maintenance and repair services to Montenegro (25 February 2025)G2G MRO contract; Bell 505 and 412 acquired in 2020 through CCC.
- Aviation Week: Helikopterverkoop aan Montenegro is Duitslands eerste G2G-deal op defensiegebied (12 juni 2026)Vier H145M's van een Duitse legereenheid; Pistorius en Krapović.
- NAVO: Montenegro treedt toe tot de NAVO (5 juni 2017)29e lid; vlag gehesen op 7 juni 2017.
- NAVO: Luchtbewaking en luchtverdediging (onderwerppagina)Griekenland en Italië bestrijken Albanië sinds 2009, Montenegro sinds 2017 en Noord-Macedonië sinds 2020; integratie in een luchtverdedigingsformatie staat gepland voor 2026.
- Civil Aviation Agency of Montenegro: register entry 4O-EAAAT-802A, built 2008, registered 10 July 2009 to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
- eAIP Servië/Montenegro, AD 2 LYPG Podgorica (AIRAC 3 september 2026)SMATSA; ARP 42°21'34"N 19°15'07"O, hoogte 122 ft, landingsbaan 18/36 2.500 x 45 m asfalt, exploitant Aerodromi Crne Gore; helikopters maken gebruik van de landingsbaan.
- eAIP Servië/Montenegro, AD 1.3 Index voor vliegvelden en helikopterplatforms (AIRAC 3 september 2026)Podgorica (LYPG) en Tivat (LYTV) worden als enige Montenegrijnse vliegvelden vermeld; Podgorica is toegankelijk voor militair verkeer. Er wordt geen Montenegrijns militair vliegveld afzonderlijk vermeld.
- Aerodromi Crne Gore: Istorija Aerodroma PodgoricaGeschiedenis van de luchthavenexploitant: oud vliegveld in Ćemovsko Polje (1928), luchthaven Titograd geopend in 1961, herbouwde luchthaven Titograd-Golubovci met een landingsbaan van 2500 m geopend op 13 juli 1977, overgenomen van JAT op 23 april 2003, nieuwe terminal op 14 mei 2006.
- Regering van Montenegro: Twee nieuwe Bell 412 EPI multifunctionele helikopters arriveren maandag (9 september 2018) in Montenegro.Ceremonie op het militaire gedeelte van de luchthaven van Golubovci; drie helikopters voor ongeveer 30 miljoen euro, contract getekend op 30 januari 2018, eerste geleverd op 13 april 2018; ingevlogen vanuit Praag door de commandant van de luchtmacht, luitenant-kolonel Nenad Pavlović.
- Ministerie van Defensie van Montenegro: Vojska Crne GoreOfficieel: de ruggengraat van de luchtmacht wordt gevormd door een gemoderniseerd helikoptereskader.
- Ministerie van Defensie van Montenegro: VazduhoplovstvoOfficieel: de ruggengraat van de luchtmacht wordt gevormd door de Bell 412 EP/EPI en de Bell 505.
- Ministerie van Defensie van Montenegro: Helikopteri Vojske Crne Gore spremni za požare (21 juni 2022)Twee Bell 412's met 1500 liter blusmateriaal staan klaar voor het brandseizoen; de derde bevindt zich in het vijfjaarlijkse onderhoudsprogramma.
- Ministerie van Defensie van Servië: Twee extra G4 Galeb-vliegtuigen uit Montenegro landen in Batajnica (23 oktober 2010)Zes G-4's naar Servië, overgenomen op de luchthaven van Podgorica, in ruil voor aandelen in Novi Prvoborac, een nachtstartapparaat voor de Montenegrijnse luchtmachtbasis en documenten.
- Human Rights Watch: Burgerdoden tijdens de NAVO-luchtcampagne (februari 2000), hoofdrapportVolgens Human Rights Watch vonden er in Montenegro drie incidenten plaats, waarbij acht burgers om het leven kwamen.
- Human Rights Watch: Burgerdoden tijdens de NAVO-luchtcampagne, Bijlage A (lijst met incidenten)Invoer 34: Aanval op het vliegveld ten zuiden van Podgorica op 28 april 1999; clusterbommen in Gosići en Mataguži; één dode, drie gewonden.
- Human Rights Watch: Burgerdoden tijdens de NAVO-luchtcampagne, Bijlage B (slachtoffers)De naam van het slachtoffer wordt genoemd, daterend uit Golubovci op 28 april 1999.
- 13. Jul Plantaže: Wijnkelders (Šipčanik)Voormalig militair vliegveld; sinds november 2007 in gebruik als wijnmakerij in plaats van vliegtuigen; 356 meter lang, 7.000 vierkante meter, meer dan 30 meter diep.
- 13. Jul Plantaže: HistoryŠipčanik cellar opened in November 2007 after reconstruction of an old military facility.
Cijfers geverifieerd op 30-09-2026. De pagina's van Order of Battle worden opnieuw gegenereerd vanuit één dataset; als een getal hier niet overeenkomt met een pagina in Book of Beasts, is deze pagina de meest recente van de twee.
Photographs: Photo: Matjaž Mirt from Krško, Slovenia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo (Bell 505 in civil markings shown): Bene Riobó / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (Cessna 421 in civil markings shown): Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Serbian UTVA 75 shown): Srđan Popović / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (Mi-8 in other markings shown): Zyzzek / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)