Ministry of defence Republic of Serbia
 
30.05.2015.

COMMUNICATION



Concerning the press articles about the placement of the model of MiG-21 aircraft in Krusevac, we primarily stress that this is one of the fifty aircraft that the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces have given in the past period to local self-governments, schools, aero clubs and other organizations. These are aircraft that are past due date and have the status of “surplus for the needs of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces”.

We also point out the fact that all decisions of authorized units of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces for one of the surplus aircraft to be made into a museum item and given to the City of Krusevac to use and keep, upon the request of the local self-government, are all available at the Museum of Yugoslav Aviation, but are presented to the public only after the change of the previous management and in a way that, with false exclusivity, draws attention from the facts and the truth about the placement of the aircraft model in Krusevac.

The local self-government of the City of Krusevac submitted the request for the surplus aircraft to the Ministry of Defence in 2012, while Bratislav Gasic was the Mayor of the city, for the aircraft to be placed at a specially arranged location, with the goal of fostering traditions of the Serbian Armed Forces and honouring the victims who had given their lives for freedom.

Assessing the request of the local self-government of the City of Krusevac, and concerning the number of surplus MiG-21 aircraft that had been for sale for a long time, the authorized MoD and SAF organizational units made the decision for one of the surplus aircraft to be awarded to the City of Krusevac. By the resolution of the authorized MoD organ, it was defined that the MiG-21 aircraft was to be made a museum item (which includes the disassembly of the engine, internal aggregates and equipment, painting and marking) and given to the Museum of Yugoslav Aviation, accordingly to the proscribed procedure. The prepared item was temporarily assigned to the City of Krusevac by contract, but it remains property of the Museum of Yugoslav Aviation.

Expenses of transformation of the surplus aircraft into a museum item, transport to Krusevac and placement of the aircraft on the base, in the amount of around 1,200,000 dinars were covered by the local self-government of the City of Krusevac, without the use of financial means of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces.

We stress that the Museum of Yugoslav Aviation has the contractual obligation to control the state of the item, and in case the user does not follow the provisions of the contract on maintenance and protection, the item will be returned to the Museum, which will be funded by the City of Krusevac. These provisions are important because certain local self-governments, schools and other organizations received surplus aircraft, but did not handle the assigned means adequately, and they became derelict and unsightly. That is the reason it was decided for the aircraft to be given to the City of Krusevac temporarily, and not permanently. It will be kept there as long as the user correctly maintains and secures the assigned mean.

 
MOD
Ministry of defence Republic of Serbia, Bircaninova 5 street, Belgrade
Questions of citizens: brziodgovor@mod.gov.rs, media requests: info@mod.gov.rs
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