MOD reaction to article published in Slobodna Dalmacija

The author of the text, published in Slobodna Dalmacija, today, 29 October 2012, Denis Krnić used his own interpretation to put forward a number of arguments that absolutely do not correspond to the facts. As stated in the text, the Croatian Air Force and Air Defence continuously monitors and protects Croatian airspace, over the entire territory of the Republic of Croatia which includes the area south of Split to Dubrovnik via Mljet, Lastovo, Vis and Drvenik and is an integral part of NATO Integrated Air Defence System for monitoring and protecting the airspace of the allied countries – NATINADS. Consequently, the conclusion of the journalists that the Air Force and Air Defence aircraft “do not perform air policing over one quarter of the Croatian territory” is not accurate.

It is true that the Air Force fighter jets that are mentioned in the text were flying in the area south of Split in 2006 and 2007, in order to test the effectiveness of FPS 117 radar system (radar station Učka and Rota). Accordingly, the published information that “Dalmatian sky for nine years is not under anybody control” and that “nine years MiGs do not perform regular flights or exercise interception and hence no control of airspace south of Split” is not accurate.

Also, given that the training programs of the Air Force and Air Defence include exercises which includes flying from an alternative airport, in the past, this had been conducted several times flying from Split and Osijek airports. The last time the two MiG-21 were rebased in Split during the visit of Pope Benedict XVI, which confirms that the rebasing to alternative airports in Croatia is also possible. However, as these activities require additional material and financial resources, it is carefully planned and rarely enforced.

In the implementation of the “Air Policing” also participate units of air monitoring and control, namely radar units that monitor the entire Croatian air space (and beyond), and exchange information on the situation in the airspace with the Allies. Fighter aircraft squadron is the executive part in the implementation of the air policing, namely in the case of an unknown aircraft or potential threat, the MiG fighter jet would make identification of the unknown aircraft or acted according to the procedures in case of a potential danger.

Furthermore it is completely untrue that MiGs can not reach from Zagreb the south of Croatia, Dubrovnik, Mljet etc. Since for the scrambling pair (two aircraft in the constant combat readiness) landing site is completely irrelevant, because after the execution of tasks jets can land at the nearest airport. In practice this means that after the interception south of Mljet, at the border of the territorial waters of the Republic of Croatia, and in the relation to the fuel left, pilot can decide on landing at the Dubrovnik or Split airport, and on the selected airport the airplane would be provided complete CROSS SERVICE CHECK according to NATO standards (STANAG).