This is a list of NATO aircraft damaged and destroyed by the Yugoslav Air Force and Air Defence Forces (YuAF&ADF) during the aggression on Yugoslavia between 24 March and 6 June 1999. It does not include UAVs.
The YuAF&ADF officially claim 61 kills. According to information from the Vietnam War, Korean War and World War 2, then number of actual kills is usually about 1/3 of claimed kills.
There are some sites which claim more than 300 kills (including B-2 =/ ). However much I would like this to be true, I believe it is fantasy.
Ovo je spisak oborenih NATO aviona tokom agresije na Jugoslaviju od 24 marta do 6 juna 1999. Nisu uračunavši letelice.
JRV i PVO zvanično kaže da oborili su 61 avione. Prema informacije od Vietnamskog rata, Korejskog rata i drugog svetskog rata, faktičan broj oborenih aviona je normalno oko 1/3 od izjavljenih.
Ima websajt koji kaže da su bili oboreni više nego 300 aviona. Istinit je da želim da ovo je istina, verujem da je fantazija.
24.03 - 20:35 - near Titel
Historical event for both Yugoslav Air Force and MiG-29. Maj. Nebojša Nikolić (now Lt.Col.) shot down an F-16 before being shot down himself. This was the first kill of the war and the first by a MiG-29. He received the Medal for Bravery. It was also the first kill by the Yugoslav Air Force since WW2.
25.03 - 01:00 - Sarajevo, Bosnia (Rajlovac airfield)
USAF F-15E damaged in dogfight with MiG-21. Landed at Sarajevo airfield spewing thick smoke. Confirmed by NATO. The incident was confirmed by LtCdr Sheena Thomson of SFOR during a joint NATO-SFOR press conference on 03-25-99. You can read the complete transcript of the press conference here.
26.03 - 17:20 - village Donja Trnova, 15km southwest of Bijeljina, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia
USAF F-15E. Crew was killed. The plane was hit by an air-to-air missile near Lazarevac, fired by Slobodan Peric flying MiG-29A.
26.03 - Zrenjanin
A group of eight British Harrier fighter jets came under heavy AAA fire while on a mission over Yugoslavia on 26-03-99. All of the Harriers are said to have returned to the Gioia del Colle base. However, several aircraft are believed to have been heavily damaged. According to the British Ministry of Defence, the Harriers had to turn back to their base before completing their mission.
27.03 - 20:38 - Budjanovci
One USAF F-117A, serial number 82-0806/'HO' from 49th Fighter Wing, 8th Fighter Squadron, based at Holloman, New Mexico was shot down. Aircraft was shot down by Col. Gvozden Djukic's air defense unit (official report). According to NATO, pilot (Cpt. Ken 'Wiz' Dwelle callsign "Bandit 475") was rescued, but the fact is that Cpt. Dwelle wasn't even drafted for the war. He was at the Holloman AFB, New Mexico at the time of the shot down. New reports suggest that the mysterious pilot was Maj. Darrell P. Zelko, callsign "Bandit 338"
01.04 - 03:05 - Zagreb, Croatia
Emergency landing of one damaged F-117A. Event reported by Radio Zagreb of Croatia.
04.04 - Sarajevo, Bosnia (Rajlovac airfield)
According to Air Forces Monthly (June 1999, p. 92), one USAF F-16C from the 31st Fighter Wing made an emergency diversion to Sarajevo airport, Bosnia-Herzegovina
06.04 - 02.30 - Aleksinac
F-16. My cousin watched it fall to the ground.
06.04 - 23:37 - Vozdovac, Belgrade
Dogfight between Yugoslav Mig-21 and US F-15. F-15 crashed near Avala mountain. Confirmed by an eyewitness.
07.04 - 02:00 - Podgorica
French Mirage 2000. Missile missed but pilot ejected anyway.
07.04 - 23:55 - Novi Sad
Belgian F-16Bof Belgian 349sqn. 42 year old pilot and 28 year old female co-pilot captured. Plane was shot down by Aleksandar Sunjka with M-55A3B1 20mm AA gun.
16.04 - 23:30 - Skopje, Macedonia (Petrovec airfield)
Emergency landing of one heavily damaged USAF A-10 serial number 81-0984/'SP' from 52nd Fighter Wing, 81st Fighter Squadron. Plane was hit with two portable SAMs. According to NATO spokesman, aircraft suferred oil pressure failure and was diverted to Petrovec for an emergency landing.
19.04 - early morning - Sarajevo (Rajlovac airfield)
Emergency landing by one Danish F-16A. Plane was damaged by a SAM but according to NATO, it was due to a serious engine problem in the early hours of the morning while flying a combat air patrol mission to protect SFOR troops in Bosnia.
25.04 - Sarajevo, Bosnia (Rajlovac airfield)
According to Air Forces Monthly and confirmed by NATO, one USAF F-15 made an emergency landing escorted by another F-15, due to a faulty hydraulic pump (possibly caused by SAM hit).
30.04
An F-117A of the 49th Fighter Wing was damaged during strike mission by a nearby explosion of an SA-3 SAM, "...causing loss of part of the tail section, but the aircraft was able to return safely to Spangdahlem air base, Germany." (source: Air Forces Monthly, July 1999, p. 75)
01.05 - 14:15 - Adriatic Sea
One USMC AV-8B from 26th MEU / VMA-231 ditched in the Adtriatic, close to the amphibious ship USS Kearsarge (LHD-3). According to NATO it crashed after losing power while preparing to land on return from a 'training mission'. The pilot ejected safely and was recoverd by a helicopter from the ship after about five minutes in the water. Yugoslav ADF claimed a hit on an AV-8B over Kosovo that day prior to NATO announcement.
02.05 - 04:00 - Nakucani near Sabac
One USAF F-16CG serial number 88-0550/'AV' from 31st Fighter Wing, 555th Fighter Squadron "Triple Nickel" based at Aviano, Italy was shot down. Aircraft was downed by Col. Gvozden Djukic's air defense unit but NATO's report says it suferred an engine failure over Metlic, while returning from a combat mission and crashed near the village of Nakucani. The pilot (probably Lt.Col. Guy "Guide" Dahlbeck) ejected and was rescued 18 km east of Kozluk by an allied combat SAR team some two hours later and returned to Aviano in good condition.
02.05 - 18:00 - Skopje, Macedonia (Petrovec airfield)
Emergency landing of one USAF A-10A serial number 81-0967/'FT' from 23rd Fighter Wing, 74th Fighter Squadron. Many eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft appeared to have serious damage to one of its engines (right engine relative to the pilot) and a wing. Several missiles were still attached to the underwing pylons, creating a danger of explosion and a panic among local residents. The pilot of the aircraft was reported to have been injured. Some 40 minutes after the crash, the aircraft was towed by a NATO vehicle to the Petrovec airport.
05.05 - morning - 75km NE of Tirana, Albania
US Army AH-64A Apache from 12th Aviation Brigade/11th Aviation Group/C Troop/6th Squadron/6th Cavalry Regiment crashed. The pilot Chief Warrant Officer 3 David A. Gibbs and the gunner Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kevin L. Reichert were killed. According to a German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, NATO's classified report cited a SAM hit as a possible reason for the crash. Article here.
13.05 - 04:25 - Nova Pazova
One B-52H hit and damaged. Aircraft then headed toward Dobanovci where it crashed. 17 people killed.
17.05 - 15:30 - between Brestovik and Smederevo
One French Mirage 2000 that crashed on a highway Belgrade-Obrenovac. Pilot ejected and captured shortly after.
20.05 - 03:03 - Borca near Belgrade
One large NATO aircraft. Story confirmed by numerous eyewitnesses. At 06:00 news, a source from the federal ministry acknowledged the downing of one large NATO bomber. Later on, it was acknowledged that it was a B-52H Stratofortress. Interesting to notice is that according to spotters from Fairford airbase, UK, one B-52H, serial number 61-0020, assigned to 96th BS (part of 2nd BW at Barksdale, Louisiana) took-off that day but never came back.
30.05 - 00:30 - Ivanovo nr Belgrade
One aircraft (according to report from Romania, French Mirage 2000) hit with Strela-2M portable SAM. Plane jettisoned its fuel tank nearIvanovo and its armament near villages Idvor and Kovacica. Romanian sources say that the aircraft crashed near Temisoara in Romania.
31.05 - 14:10 - Sabac
One aircraft hit by a missile. Immediately after that, plane jettisoned its fuel tank and headed for Bosnia airspace. From the report of local villagers, plane crashed in the eastern part of Bosnia, near Bijeljina. By the remains of the fuel tank, the aircraft is an F-16. Whole incident was televized by RTS.
07.06 - 00:30 - area between Slankamen and Indjija
One large bomber was shot down. Witnesses claim that the aircraft had four jet engines. Aircraft managed to evade the first SAM, but exploded after a direct hit by a second one. Crew probably killed. Interesting to notice is that according to Fairford spotters, one B-1B, serial number 85-0074, assigned to 77th Bombing Squadron, 28th Bombing Wing, based at Ellsworth, South Dakota took-off but never came back.