Serbia's Swallow

摘要

Before the start of the civil war in 1991, the former Yugoslavia's aviation industry produced the Orao light attack aircraft and Galeb G-4 jet trainer for the country's air force (YAF). The future looked bright, too: the YAF, industry and the government were discussing the development of a single-engine multi-role combat aircraft called the Novi Avion. Technological support was negotiated with the British and French aviation industries. But the civil war and the break-up of Yugoslavia destroyed these plans. And the events of the last 20 years - war, NATO bombing and the changing political landscape - have naturally had an impact. But the former Yugoslav aircraft industry, now in independent Serbia, is re-energised with the Lasta basic trainer and its Kobac counter-insurgency derivative.