30.09.2015.

A century of Antiaircraft Artillery and Missile units marked

Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic, with members of the Collegium, and Deputy Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Jovica Draganic, with associates, attended today’s central ceremony for the anniversary of one hundred years of Antiaircraft Artillery and Missile units in the "Banjica" barracks.

Along with the parade of the units, a part of the missile technology was shown, with which the 250th Air Defence Missile Brigade is equipped, which was the host of today's ceremony.

On the occasion of the significant anniversary, Chief of General Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic awarded the 250th Air Defence Missile Brigade the Golden Plaque of the Serbian Armed Forces.

Congratulating the holiday, Minister Gasic pointed out that the century of these units was written in numerous successes, determination and patriotism, courage and laid lives of its members.

- The turbulent developments in the Balkans and the freedom-loving spirit of our nation spawned numerous victims of Serbian antiaircraft members in defence of the fatherland. Inheriting a long and glorious history, the antiaircraft artillery and missile units today represent the contemporary service of the Serbian Armed Forces, a trusted guardian and protector of the Serbian sky - Minister Gasic said.

According to him, the achieved level of equipment and training of units and the professionalism of its members are the result of decades of development of the service, which required a lot of effort, knowledge and work of Serbian antiaircraft service members.

Recalling the history of the service, Defence Minister said that, today, the antiaircraft artillery and missile units have highly qualified staff, able to properly carry out all the tasks in regular combat training and protection of the entire airspace of Serbia.

- This is the day when, first of all, we should express our gratitude and pay due respect to the generations of antiaircraft fighters, which in the past few decades have been the first on the defence line of the fatherland, achieving results. Be proud of them and the artilleryman private Raka Ljutovac - Minister Gasic stressed, sending a message to members of this service that besides, along with executing very complex tasks, they have always been, are and will remain a professional personnel that is able to meet all the challenges of the new era within the limits of the possibility of the technology and combat systems we possess.

After the parade of the units, Minister Gasic, delegations of the Serbian Armed Forces, and family members laid wreaths at the memorial to the fallen members of the 250th Air Defence Missile Brigade, and the gathered guests were able to tour the exhibition of missile arms.

The Day of Antiaircraft Artillery and Missile units is celebrated on 30 September to commemorate the day when the first enemy plane was shot down over Kragujevac in 1915 by Raka Ljutovac with a modified gun.