Why is it that the usa can justify and allowe some eastern european countries to retain older soviet era aircraft and or purchase suffisticated new aircraft, but when it comes to the balkans, in particular x-yugoslav republics, they are prevented in ataining or upgrading their airforces.
The following article by Igor Bozinovski was posted airserbia.com regarding the Su-25 operated by the macedonian af…
The Republic of Macedonia will sell its four Su-25 jets to the former Soviet republic of Georgia in a deal that is reportedly coordinated by the United States, says Yevgeny Sidorov, the political analyst of the Russian Information Agency RIA Novosti. He claims that in April and May, both Macedonia and Bulgaria agreed to provide Georgia with seven Su-25 jets. Since Macedonian Air Force has only four Su-25 jets on strength (three single-seat Su-25 Frogfoot-A and one two-seat Su-25UB Frogfoot-B) it is to expect that the other three examples will be surplus Bulgarian Air Force examples. According to the Russian political analyst, Macedonia is likely to be among the countries that will deliver for free around 2.000 assault rifles and plenty of ammunition to Georgia. Other countries said to hand over weapons and ammunition to Georgia are Hungary, Romania, and the Czech Republic.
The four Macedonian jets were procured from Ukraine during the armed conflict in 2001 at a total price of 8 million USD. However, in attempting to meet all its obligations for full integration and membership of NATO, Macedonia agree to remove the Su-25 jets from its Air Force and Air Defence Force (Voeno Vozduhoplovstvo i Protivvozdusna Odbrana – VV i PVO) before the end of the year 2004 at the latest. To that end, Macedonian Su-25s officially ceased flying on March 1, 2004, when all four aircraft were grounded. Since then, their engines have been run up weekly to keep them in airworthy condition, thought no further flying has taken place. In the meantime, the Macedonian Ministry of Defence was looking for the most adequate way to remove the small fleet of excellent condition Su-25s from the Air Force inventory. The following possible solutions have been considered: returning the jets to Ukraine in exchange for long-term Ukrainian maintenance and overhaul for Macedonian fleet of Soviet-era helicopters or signing a bilateral agreement for delivery of one An-32 transport aircraft to the Macedonian Air Force; selling (or even donating/compensating) its Su-25s to some friendly country, like for example Georgia – country that still operates the type; to put the Su-25s in long-term storage; to permanently exhibit them like museum examples across the country or at outskirts of Petrovec air base; to use them as a targets at the Krivolak training center; or to scrap/destroy them with international assistance. Don’t matter what the final solution will look like, for sure it will be a very sad end for a short-lived jet-era of the Macedonian Air Force.
Igor Bozinovski
1.jul.2005.
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July 25, 2005 at 2:26 pm