03.06.2019.

New Issue of “ODBRANA” published

The June issue of the magazine “Odbrana” (“Defense”) is pervaded by two topics – the continuation of marking two decades of the NATO aggression against the FRY and the defense industry of Serbia. The Paštrik operation account for our magazine comes exclusively from the pen of retired Major-General, Božidar Delić, Commander of 549 Motorized Brigade. Paštrik was important to the terrorists since it was one of the main routes for illegal supply of weapons from Albania. In a single convoy, on 26 April 1998, they attempted to transfer about seven tons of weapons and ammunition to our territory, carried by about 150 packhorses. “When the bombing began on 24 March, two thirds of the Brigade forces had already taken their defensive positions, and one third in successive combats and fighting, along with other forces of the Pristina Corps, broke and destroyed terrorist forces in depth, clearing the territory behind our backs together with the MUP (Ministry of Interior), which then established control of the territory and communication towards Kosovo ...” General Delić writes.

During the NATO aggression, 126 Brigade VOJIN became renowned for its activities at detecting the NATO bombers. Commander of the Brigade, Colonel Aleksandar Dučić, on the occasion of the Day of the Unit – 18 June, spoke about the war experience. During 1999, between 24 March and 9 June, they registered 26.000 NATO aviation take-offs, of which more than 18.000 were performed by fighter aircraft. More than 37 thousand missiles have been launched, with a total of 20.000 tons of explosives. The unit was constantly under enemy attack, directly targeted 98 times. 99 air bombs were thrown, 15 cruise missiles launched, with 29 anti-radar and 13 air-to-earth missiles. Her members rescued thousands of civilians during those faithful days, giving time to Avram Izrael, head of the Information Center in 1999 and his colleagues to direct the citizens to basements and shelters.

The second theme block of “Odbrana” has been dedicated to the defense industry of Serbia. Nenad Miloradović, assistant to the Defense Minister for material resources, in the interview on the occasion of 9th International Fair of Weapons and Military Equipment “Partner”, pointed out that our defense industry is rapidly developing and that it currently generates more than 95 percent of its income at the world market. He also said that, the focal area of Serbian defense industry – shooting weapons, ammunition and ammunition elements, as well as self-propelled artillery systems and combat wheeled vehicles stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s leading manufacturers.

Part of the production of our military industry was presented to the public in the presentation of the capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces and the MUP at the celebration “Odbrana slobode” (“Defense of Freedom”) in Niš, which was organized on the occasion of marking the Victory Day. To the music of the immortal “Marš na Drinu” (“March to the Drina”), the infantry and motorized echelons of the Serbian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Interior (MUP) paraded in an impeccable order, along with the flight of airborne echelons and a parachute airdrop performed. Special units of the MUP also took part in the presentation, equipped with the state-of-the-art weapons and equipment.

In the Technology section, we present one of the domestic products that will be exhibited at the Partner Fair. It is the new Serbian modular rifle 6.5 / 7.62 mm M17 GRENDEL and the bullet designed for it. The rifle was designed by “Zastava oružje” (“Zastava Weapons”) constructors, and the bullet by “Prvi partizan” (“First Partisan”) from Užice.

The “From the Units” section introduces more texts about the current exercises that took place last month. The word goes about a several days long tactical exercise with live firing “Plavi put 2019” (“Blue Route 2019”), that took place on the temporary range Titel on the Tisa River in real weather and meteorological conditions. Then, there is the exercise “Srpski štit – 14” (“Serbian Shield – 14”), the final checking of the combat readiness of our peacekeepers at the “Jug” base and at the “Borovac” training grounds, conducted under the watchful eye of the evaluation team from the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, and a bilateral type of exercise “Obazrivi vuk 19” (“Vigilant Wolf 19”), which was organized in our country for the first time and in which 226 officers and soldiers of the Serbian Armed Forces and armed forces of the United States took part.

In the June issue of our magazine, the tenth anniversary of the Medical Faculty of the MMA is marked in an appropriate text. So far, four generations of cadets and about a hundred students have graduated from it. This year 11th generation will be enrolled, and the fifth class of study will graduate. Dean of the Faculty, Colonel Tihomir Ilić, medical doctor speaks about the benefits of studying at the Medical Faculty of the MMA and about the prospects of this higher educational institution.
We also recommend to the readers a text from the Global section – an interview with Professor Hans Köhler about old power games, which was organized during his stay in Belgrade. Professor Köhler worked on numerous significant UN projects and strongly opposed the bombing of the FRY and unilateral proclamation of the independence by the Kosovo Albanians. Dr Miša Stojadinović, a Senior Research Associate at the Faculty of International Politics and Security, writes about the echoes of the “Arab spring” in Syria, and Dr. Aleksandar Životić, professor at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, on the renewal of the “heavy” Divisions of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

CONTENTS
Odbrana 324, June 2019

INTRODUCTORY – Writer and war

IN FOCUS
On the occasion of Victory Day – “Odbrana slobode” (“Defending freedom”) – POWER OF SRBIA

INTERVIEW WITH A CAUSE
Nenad Miloradović, PhD – towards “Partner” – GIANT STEPST TOWARDS THE GOAL

STANDPOINT
Opertion Paštrik – FOR OUR OWN PIECE OF SOIL

SYSTEM
“Plavi put 2019” (“Blue route 2019”) – FORCES FOR RAPID REACTION ON WATER

A new contingent of the Serbian Armed Forces Peacekeepers ready for Lebanon – SERBIAN SHIELD FOR BLUE HELMETS

Exercise of the Serbian and US Military Police – VIGILANT WOLF

Towards the Day of 126 Brigade VOJIN – INVISIBLE HEROES

Ten years of the Medical Faculty of MMA – WAITING FOR A STEP FORWARD

TECHNOLOGY
New Serbian modular AP 6.5/7.62 mm – RIFLE WITH TWO TYPES OF AMMUNITION

GLOBAL
Professor Hans Köhler – OLD POWER GAMES

“COLONEL” EDWARD MENDEL HOUSE

Hotspots – ECHOES OF “ARAB SPRING” IN SYRIA

Traditional and modern – RENEISANSE OF “HEAVY” DIVISIONS

HISTORY
Jacques-Antoine-Hippolyte, Count de Guibert
CULTURE
Book “TARGET. Die Brücke von Varvarin” (“TARGET. The Varvarin Bridge”) Gabriele Senft – DOCUMENT OF A CRIME

COMPETITIONS AND ADVERTISEMENTS

SPECIAL ADDITION – PARTNER 2019

You can buy magazine “ODBRANA” at “ŠTAMPA“ and “FUTURA PLUS“ news-stands and in “VOJNA KNJIGA” at 22 Vasina Street in Belgrade, at the price of RSD 100, and you may find a digital edition at the portal www.novinarnica.net.