Serbian police helicopter unit

The Helicopter unit (Serbian: Helikopterska jedinica) is the air support unit of the Serbian Police.[3][4] The unit can trace its origin back to 1967 and was established in its present form in 2002.[5][1] The unit is in the process of modernising its fleet with the addition of the Airbus Helicopters H145M and has also ordered the Airbus Helicopters H215.[6]

Helicopter unit
Helikopterska jedinica  (Serbian)
Хеликоптерска јединица  (Serbian)
Unit emblem
ActiveApril 1967 (April 1967)[1]
Country Serbia
AgencySerbian Police
TypePolice aviation unit
HeadquartersBelgrade Nikola Tesla Airport[2]
AbbreviationHU
Equipment
Aircraft16 (in 2020)
Website
Official website

History

The Milicija helicopter unit was founded in April 1967 when a Bell 47 J-2 was provided to the Republican Secretariat for Interior of the Socialist Republic of Serbia.[7][8] The helicopter was donated by the Federal Geological Institute of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia who had used it for geological exploration for uranium.[7][8]

From 1980, a number of new generation helicopters with jet engines enter serviced including the Bell AB-212, the Bell 206, Soko Gazelle and later the Aerospatiale AS365N Dauphin.[7][8][5]

When riots broke out in Kosovo and Metochia in 1989 and 1990, helicopters were used to break up the mass demonstrations by Albanians. AB-212s were used to transport special forces units to rebel strongholds.

The Federal Secretariat for Interior established a helicopter squadron during the 1960s acquiring a number of helicopters. This squadron was dissolved in 1992 and integrated into the Republican Secretariat for Interior Milicija Helicopter Unit.[5]

In 1992, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Serbian Latin: Ministarstvo Unutrašnjih Poslova (MUP)), was established in the new Republic of Serbia, consisting of the Public Security Service (Serbian Latin: Resor Javne Bezbednosti (RJB)), which oversaw the milicija (later renamed to policija (police) in 1996) and the State Security Service (Serbian Latin: Resor Državne Bezbednosti (RDB)).[5] The State Security Service also maintained an Aviation Unit with a fleet of helicopters.[5]

The Ministry of Internal Affairs helicopter fleet included the Bell 206B/L, Soko Gazelle SA-341/342, Bell AB-212, Aerospatiale SA-365N Dauphin, Mi-17 and Mi-24.[5]

Bell 206

The RDB took part in combat operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia in support of ethnic Serb forces – often flying without any markings or only marked with the Serbian flag. In 1997, RDB combat units were reorganised into a Brigade level unit: the Unit for Special Forces (JSO), including the Aviation Unit. The JSO took part in numerous combat operations during the escalating Kosovo and Metochia crisis. Mi-24s were used to attack rebel training camps and hundreds of transport and medevac flight were carried out. During the NATO Operation Allied Force in 1999, JSO helicopters continued to fly liaison and medivac missions. During the NATO bombing, no helicopters were damaged but the fleet hangar was destroyed.[5][8]

In 1998, a Sikorsky S-76 had entered service in the fleet for VIP transport.[7]

In October 2001, the helicopters were publicly presented for the first time, during a joint exercise with the Armed Forces of Serbia and Montenegro.

In 2002, the Ministry of Internal Affairs was re-organised following the dissolving of the RDB consequently the RDB Aviation Unit was integrated into the police Helicopter Unit.[5] The military helicopters used by the RDB the Mi-24 and the Mi-17 were transferred to the Air Force.[8][9]

Roles
Bell 212

The Helicopter Unit undertakes a wide variety of roles for the police and the MUP including:[4][7][3][10]

The Helicopter Unit has its own flight school to trains its pilots and also has its own aviation technicians to service its helicopters.[9][7][10]

Helicopters
Soko Gazelle

Current fleet
Aircraft Origin Versions Number Notes
Airbus Helicopters H145  Germany H145M 4 in service[11][12][13][14]
Airbus Helicopters H215  France H215 3 on order[15][6] expected delivery in 2022
Sikorsky S-76[4]  United States S-76B 1
Soko Gazelle[4]  France SA 341G / SA 342L 4 + 2 stored
Bell 206[4]  United States 206B 4
Bell 212[4]  Italy AB 212 3

Retired fleet
Aircraft Origin Versions Number Notes
Bell 47J Ranger  United States Bell 47J-2A ?
Agusta-Bell 206  Italy 206A
206B		 3
1
Aerospatiale AS365[5]  France SA 365N 2 Sold in 2004; one to Togo, other to German private company.
Mi-17[5]  Soviet Union Mi-17 2 Used by JSO, transferred to air force
Mi-24[5]  Soviet Union Mi-24V 2 Used by JSO, retired

See also

References
  1. "Хеликоптерска јединица МУП у вежби гашења пожара". Dnevnik (in Serbian). 2 August 2017. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  2. "Хеликоптерска јединица значајна за борбу против криминала и помоћ грађанима". Government of Republic of Serbia (Press release) (in Serbian). 7 April 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  3. "Хеликоптерска јединица". Ministry of Interior (in Serbian). Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  4. "Helikopterska jedinica". Archive - Ministry of Interior (in Serbian). 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  5. "Istorijat - Helikopterska jedinica". Archive - Ministry of Interior (in Serbian). 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  6. "Serbia and Airbus Helicopters expand partnership". Airbus (Press release). 26 June 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  7. Igor, Salinger (1 May 2017). "пола века У ва здуХу" (PDF). Odbrana (Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces) (in Serbian). Belgrade: Politika a.d. (279): 24–29. ISSN 1452-2160. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  8. Galović, Milan (7 April 2017). "Pola veka Helikopterske jedinice MUP-a Srbije". Politika Online (in Serbian). Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  9. Vojinovic, Petar (3 September 2015). "Vazdušna konjica Ministarstva unutrašnjih poslova – Vatrogasci iz helikoptera". Tango Six (in Serbian). Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  10. "Delatnost rada - Helikopterska jedinica". Archive - Ministry of Interior (in Serbian). 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  11. Vojinovic, Petar (21 December 2018). "[FOTO] Zvanična primopredaja juče u Nemačkoj: Helikopterska jedinica policije Srbije dobila svoja prva dva helikoptera H145M". Tango Six (in Serbian). Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  12. "Republic of Serbia Orders Nine H145M". Airbus. 28 December 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  13. Bozinovski, Igor (4 January 2017). "Serbia buys nine H145M helicopters from Airbus". janes.com. IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 21 June 2017.
  14. Vojinovic, Petar (9 July 2019). "[EKSKLUZIVNO] Helikopterska jedinica MUP-a: Prve vazduh-vazduh fotografije srpskih Erbasova H145M". Tango Six (in Serbian). Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  15. Bozinovski, Igor (18 March 2019). "Serbia to acquire H215 helicopters". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
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