Macedonian Air Force

Macedonian Air Warfare and Air Defence Force Воздухопловна Бригада на Република Македонија
Macedonian AWAD Force emblem
Active	June 10, 1992 – present
Country	Macedonia
Branch	Army aviation
Size	18 aircraft and 21 Air Defence Platforms
Part of	Army of the Republic of Macedonia
Garrison/HQ	Aleksandar Makedonski, Skopje
Engagements	2001 insurgency in the Republic of Macedonia
Commanders
Aviation Brigade Commander	Colonel Robert Malezanski
Insignia
Roundel
Fin Marking
Aircraft flown
Helicopter	Bell 206, Mi-17, UH-1 Mil Mi-24

The Macedonian Aviation Brigade is the Air Warfare and Air Defence Force of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia.

The development of the Macedonian Aviation Brigade started from scratch in 1992.

The UTVA-66 and UTVA-75 were the first aircraft types to be introduced into the Macedonian Air Warfare and Air Defence Forces. Upon its creation, the Macedonian Air Warfare and Air Defence Forces could count on one UTVA-66 and four UTVA-75 A21 two-seat trainers, all leased from the Makedonski Vozduhoploven Sojuz (Macedonian Aeronautical Union).

After the full-scale conflict began in 1991 in the newly independent republics of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution, requesting the immediate UN arms embargo to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Macedonia and Slovenia. This resolution was seen by Macedonia as unfair, because Macedonia was the only one of the former Yugoslav Republics that has gained its independence as a state by peaceful means. In 1994, the Macedonian Air Force and Air Defence Forces acquired four biplanes built in the 1920s from Ukraine. Because of the arms embargo they were delivered to the Macedonian Air Force and Air Defence Forces with civil registrations. In 1996, the Security Council excluded Macedonia from the UN arms embargo. Shortly after this all four Mi-17s of the Macedonian Air Force and Air Defence Forces were painted in camouflage schemes and they received military serials.

Four Zlin 242L two-seat trainers were acquired from the Czech Republic in 1995. They are suitable for basic, aerobatic, navigation, instrument and night flying, for formation flying and combat maneuvers. One Zlin 242L was lost on April 7, 1999 when it crashed about 1 km west of Mantovo Accumulation Lake, near Radovish, the pilot escaping with minor injuries.

The last few years a number of rumours have surfaced about possible acquisitions by the Macedonian Air Warfare and Air Defence Forces . Unfortunately all of these rumours appeared either to be untrue or the acquisitions failed to materialise. The Macedonian Air Warfare and Air Defence Forces will not take delivery of new build L-59, second-hand Turkish F-5, second-hand Bulgarian MiG-21bis and Mi-24D. The delivery of 16 ex-German Army Bo-105M helicopters will also not take place.