Ministry of defence Republic of Serbia
 
19.07.2019.

Minister Vulin: Pilots are well



- During the regular exercise activity, practicing off-airport landing, the helicopter did not descend well and did not land well. The most important thing is that our pilots are completely safe and sound. We had periods in which our helicopters and planes did not fly at all, and now they fly, much more often, and such things are happening, minister of defence Aleksandar Vulin said in the morning Journal on Radio Television of Serbia, on the occasion of yesterday's failure of Gazelle HO-42 helicopter from the 98th Aviation Brigade of Air Force and Air Defence.
 
Speaking about that he pointed out that the helicopter was serviceable because no helicopter can fly without being serviceable.
 
- You must have at least five signatures to put an aircraft into operation and to fly. We maintain our technique, it is very correct, such things are simply happening and will happen, Minister Vulin said, adding that such and similar situations are happening all over the world.
 
- I would like to remind you that two Bundeswehr-owned planes crashed a few days ago when one of the pilots died. Also, since the beginning of the year, we have had several falls of F-35, which is the most modern aircraft in the world, as well as a fall of the Russian helicopter, Minister Vulin pointed out, and stressed that such situations cannot be foreseen.
 
He said that thanks to President Vučić's policy, the Serbian Armed Forces was renewing itself; there were large investments in it, in the standard of its members and in the quality of the materiel.
 
- Accidents are happening and will happen, but what is most important – our pilots are trained and the aircraft serviceable, Minister Vulin pointed out telling that due to recent agreements with the French Republic and the Russian Federation in the field of defence, by the end of the year, we will have more helicopters than ever .