28.03.2014.

Presentation of the book "Air War over Serbia in 1999"

In the Ceremonial Hall of the Central military Club, the book "Air War over Serbia in 1999" by Bojan Dimitrijevic, PhD, and Major General Jovica Draganic was presented. This was another way to mark the 15th anniversary of NATO aggression against our country. The promotion was attended by Defence Minister Nebojsa Rodic with his associates, General Ljubisa Dikovic, Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff with the members of his collegium, representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, members of the Air Force and Air Defence units and others.

Speakers about the book, which has numerous photographs, illustrations and certificates about the war of 19 NATO countries against Serbia, were Momcilo Pavlovic, PhD, Director of the Institute for Contemporary History, Miroslav Lazanski, military-political commentator of the "Politika" daily and the authors.

Pointing out that the book about the air battle over Serbia, conducted during 78 days of NATO bombing, is the fruit of many years of cooperation between the two authors – a historian in love with aviation and the Air Force general in love with the history, Lieutenant Colonel Slavoljub Markovic, Director of Odbrana Media Centre, welcoming the participants, said that the second edition of that book is a continuation of the cooperation of the military publishing house with the Institute for Contemporary History.

- By publishing and promoting the second, amended edition of the book which, a few years ago, was published by the Institute for Contemporary History, we wanted to contribute to the 15th anniversary of NATO aggression against Serbia. In the forthcoming period, the Odbrana Media Centre will publish several titles to mark important dates in our history, especially regarding the 100th anniversary from the beginning of the Second World War – Lieutenant Colonel Slavoljub Markovic said.

Stressing that the book "Air War over Serbia in 1999" represents a detailed study of the war, not only about the events in the sky over Serbia during the 78 firing days and nights, but also the specific view of recent historical and political background in this area, including the reasons for the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, Momcilo Pavlovic, PhD, Director of the Institute for Contemporary History, said that the attack on Serbia was prepared well in advance of its realisation.

- Thanks to the large number of original documents, which the authors gathered in this monograph, an entirely new view of this war was presented. Sufficient historical distance allowed the authors position for more objective review of an atypical conflict with a strong technological disproportion between the opponents, in conditions of complete combat environment for the militarily inferior side. Notwithstanding the unusually short distance for making an objective scientific evaluation and presentation of historical events, the authors did not hesitate to give their view of the events which shook at the end of the nineties not only the territory of the former Yugoslavia and the Balkans, but also a broader, European region and the world. The destruction of Yugoslavia and the subsequent bombing of Serbia had, and still have, immense historical consequences. The authors have provided a detailed picture of not only the bombing of the Serbian cities, which lasted 78 days, but also the events leading up to the air battle over Serbia – Momcilo Pavlovic, PhD, pointed out.

Miroslav Lazanski also spoke very commendable about the book and recommended the book to all lovers of interesting reading, both military and historical.

- The book is a study of wartime events that marked the end of the 20th century. NATO strategists made the analysis of the effects of the bombing and air combat against Serbia, long before our military experts did it. This book is a comprehensive, professional, but also very interesting contribution to this analysis. Much of this is now clearer, much more understandable and easier to explain. The book presents concrete evidence of hundreds of repeated manoeuvres, countless masks, successful battles of David and failures of Goliath ... The authors covered every attack on Serbia, every aircraft entering our airspace, but they also gave a detailed presentation of engagement of NATO aviation in Bosnia four years earlier. They showed a change in behaviour of attackers, proved loss of an initial arrogance of the attackers with arguments and subsequent fear of any attack. To one who reads this book it will become definitely clear why NATO pilots, after the first few days of aggression already, were not sure that they would return to base from an attack on Serbia – Lazanski said.

Pointing out that their intention was to show 78 days of air combat over Serbia as closely as possible, from hour to hour, the authors pointed out some semantic, conceptual, and even doctrinal difficulties encountered in working on the book.

- Although we did not always know whether it was a case of aggression, air raid, intervention, surgery, although we were not able to draw the clear line as to whether it was a war or not, we had not doubts for one moment when we described patriotism, courage, perseverance and professionalism of our forces – Major General Jovica Draganic who himself participated in the defence against aggression, said. – We kept the facts of almost every aircraft and attack, we provided data, we used our own and foreign sources, some of the data published for the first time. We showed how the number of targets increased, how the initial arrogance grew into anger, and then to worry, and even doubt in the success of the aggression. Instead of initially proclaimed military targets, the opponent attacked civilian targets, electric power plants, hospitals, plazas, apartment buildings ... Along with their anger, our resistance grew, readiness of Air Force and Air Defence increased – Major General Draganic speaks.

Bojan Dimitrijevic, PhD, said that "such a war will probably never be repeated, not only over the air space of Serbia, but, considering the result, nowhere else."

- Air superiority was an incomparable and has never been recorded before; but the goals that were set were not realised. Military force of Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was not destroyed, Serbia was not thrown on its knees; today we are again, just like after the First and Second World War, on the same side. We are not enemies, not opponents – Bojan Dimitrijevic, PhD, said at today's presentation of the book entitled "Air War over Serbia in 1999".