The Serbian air force is negotiating the acquisition of eight surplus fighters from Bosnia.
The aircraft - seven J-22 Oraos and a G-4 Super Galeb of former Yugoslav origin and part of a lot given by the rump Yugoslavia to Bosnian Serb armed forces in 1992 - have not yet been officially proclaimed surplus, but have not flown several years and are likely to be withdrawn from use.
Bosnian defence minister Selmo Cikotic says: "Effectively, we can only sell them to Serbia - either that or the scrapyard." Following the fusion of Serbian and Bosnian-Croat armed forces, the Bosnian defence ministry appears unlikely to keep fixed-wing combat aircraft in its inventory, relying instead on Mil Mi-8/17, Gazelle and UH-1 helicopters.
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A Serbian armed forces flight-research department Super Galeb G-4 advanced jet trainer crashed on 24 September at Batajnica, killing Lt Col Istvan Kanas, Serbia's leading test pilot. It was the type's second fatal crash.
Source: Flight International
