According to interview with Air Force and Air Defence Chief General Dragan Katanic published in new issue of “Defence” weekly magazine http://www.odbrana.mod.gov.yu/odbrana045/08-11.pdf Serbian Air Force will finish with studies and proposal regarding new multi role aircraft by mid September and than it will be submitted to higher authorities for approval. Article has mentioned that expected price per aircraft will be 35 to 45 mil of Euro and it is expected that entire purchase will cost 1 billion Euro.
As far as flying hours are concerned he is expecting that pilots will complete 40h of flying next year and year after some 80h per pilot.
By the end of this year 5 MiG-29A will be returned in to service following general overhaul in Russia.
Bulgaria has agreed ,in principal ,to lease/rent weapon ranges so that Air Defence units can do live firing with Surface to Air missiles and Fighter Pilot live firing with Air to Air missiles. It is interesting to note that Serbian Fighter pilots will not use Serbian MiG-21 but rather local,Bulgarina MiG-21 for those exercises.
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August 3, 2007 at 9:32 pm