From the museum - into operation: NJ-22 planes return to the Serbian Air Force

It has recently become known that Serbia has launched a project to modernize the Yugoslav Joko J-22 fighter-bomber Orao (Orel) in its two-seat modification NJ-22. As part of the implementation of this program, a “return to life" of aircraft of this type is carried out.

Instead of a museum - drill service

In the 1996 year, the Dayton Peace Accords in Bosnia and Herzegovina were concluded, which implied a reduction in the number of combat aircraft to 155 units. As a result, 12 "Orlov" ended up at the Air Force Museum in Belgrade, reports the Serbian publication Tango Six. However, visitors did not have access to them.

Of these, 4 were doubles. It is in relation to them that major repairs, extension of service life and modernization at the site of the Aviation Plant named after Moma Stanoilovich. The aircraft to be reconstructed were manufactured in 1987, 1988 (two cars) and 1989 years and have a raid from 555,3 to 607,4 hours.

Over the past two years, the Serbian Air Force and Air Defense Forces have been able to count on a dozen active "Eagles" that act as the air bastion of Belgrade. Of the 16 machines, 9 are single and 7 doubles, some of them undergo overhaul, one NJ-22 acts as a platform for working out improvements. The original life of the Orlov was 24 years or 3000 hours of flight time, but the life was already extended by 5 years.

NJ-22, housed in the 23 Museum of the Year

Long-livers of the Serbian Air Force

The reason why it was decided to upgrade these aircraft was first revealed in the 2017 year of the Ministry of Defense. As reported, after analyzing the design of the machines, the Military Technical Institute came to the conclusion that their service life could be extended to 40 years, after which they could be extended to 8.

A demonstration of a possible improvement, which received the informal designation “Eagle 2.0” from the filing of Tango Six, took place in April 2016. As indicated by the military, with respect to each unit of equipment will be developed its own improvement project.
Two stages of the program are planned. The current, first, suggests that two-seater preferred aircraft will be equipped with a new navigation system, the rear of the cockpit will undergo changes.

As a result of modernization, at this stage, the NJ-22 will lose the role of the "training desk" and become bomber hunters who will have an armament officer in the back seat, directing the pilot to the target even at night (which is currently unavailable to the Eagles). He will be responsible for the management of aircraft protection systems. The launch of new missiles will be possible before visual contact with a target from 40 distance and more than km. At the second stage, a complete replacement of avionics will take place, during which a new upper electro-optical HUD display will be installed.

Comments

[cat Rusich]

I offer Serbia to agree with Russia on the supply of MiG-29 (by the example of Mongolia), but for rubles (with a discount, by installments ...). It is good to prolong the "life" of the old "good" technology, but you need to know when to stop. Instead of 4 NJ-22 Oryol fighters, the S-300 division is better

[svp67]

Quote: cat Rusich

Offer Serbia to agree with Russia on the supply of Mig-29

They have MiGs, Russia has already helped them restore and put into operation. It would be better for the Serbs to put a dozen Su-25 or Su-24.

[The leader of the Redskins]

Well kept in the museum, in a businesslike way, since you can return it to operation. Well done Serbs.

[Klingon]

Quote: Leader of the Redskins

Well kept in the museum, in a businesslike way, since you can return it to operation. Well done Serbs.

I’ll add: and they don’t whine * give us a penny * as some take and do

[Nikolaevich I]

Bomber Hunter? And sho ... now in service with "to the fig" bombers? The phrase "bomber hunter" was relevant in the 40-50s, for example ... Maybe the Serbs are expecting a B-52 raid, God forbid? Or are they going to "hunt" for F-117, B-2? Yes, even for the transport workers! Questions arise: 1. Will they "see" the F-117? 2. will they be allowed to approach to attack? Light attack aircraft, helicopter fighter, tomahawk interceptor ... this is, perhaps, the "area" of application of the Serbian "eagles", after the appropriate retrofitting ... PS By the way, although "Orao" is sometimes called a fighter-bomber; but, in fact, this is an attack aircraft, a scout ... In these guises, he was used in the Yugoslav internecine war! If my memory serves me, then the armament of the first modifications did not even include air-to-air missiles. Only the latest modifications of the Orao began to arm themselves with RVVs. The first modifications of the "eagle" were transonic, the subsequent ones were supersonic at the "level" of the MiG-19 ...

[Avior]

turn into bomber hunters

very strange application
it’s logical to use it as a percussion weapon, using guided weapons, but for this, avionics needs to be significantly updated

[svp67]

If I’m not mistaken, it was these aircraft, despite their archaic nature and simplicity, that caused more damage to the coalition of NATO forces during the war

[akribos]

This is possible, if it is considered true, the information about the alleged case of a Serbian air raid on a NATO army helicopter airfield. Judging by this information, NATO lost a certain number of helicopters, which led to the exclusion of plans for the use of helicopters in a certain period of the war. The Serbs believed the raid was successful. I want to repeat, this information was passed on to a Serbian source and may well be propaganda, or maybe not.

[awdrgy]

It is believed that even increasing by a factor of 10, the Serbs will not be able to protect themselves from possible aggressors and cause unacceptable damage The question is, does it make sense to invest in defense more than is necessary for police operations and guerrilla warfare? The question is how long the Serbian army will have enough days and who forced to intervene in it?

[lopuhan2006]

The Serbs NEED THE ARMY AND THE AIR FORCE NOT FOR PROTECTION AGAINST NATO, AND FOR COMPENSATION OF THREATS FROM NEIGHBORS (Kosovo, Albania, Croatia, etc.). There isn’t enough forces against NATO, but such planes are quite normal for deterring and inadmissibility of minor local conflicts. Don’t it hurt Donbass, it wouldn’t exist now, the same about Abkhazia, etc. It is important to be no worse than the neighbors, but for more serious threats, you are either in one clip or in another. Serbia's problems are the same as those of Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Syria, S. Korea, Taiwan, the Baltic states, Japan to a lesser extent, etc. the fact that these countries are irritants in geopolitics.

[Kettle]

Nedo-Jaguar, re-Alpha Jet ..
It is surprising how low, even in the 70s, compared with today's times, was the threshold for entry of very medium-developed countries into combat jet aircraft.
The Yugoslavs with the Romanians, using the forces of two technical institutes, created, in principle, a good strike aircraft for their time.
And they riveted them, again at their Romanian-Yugoslav production base, as many as 250 pieces.
Only English engines and ejection seats were used, but this is the second, although also interesting for socialist countries, question.