Mil Mi8 Hip - Balkan veterans

The Mil Mi-8 is a Soviet-designed medium twin-turbine Transport helicopter. There are also armed gunship versions. The Mi-8 is among the world's most-produced helicopters, used by over 50 countries. Russia is the main producer and the largest operator of the type. Robust and versatile helikopter found a place in Yugoslavian Air Force squadrons.

The Yugoslav Air Force bought 24 Mi-8T (Hip C) transport helicopters from May 1968 to May 1969 to equip two squadrons of the newly formed 119th transport regiment from Niš military airport, each squadron with 12 helicopters. Subsequently, from 1973 to the early 1980s, Yugoslavia purchased more Mi-8T helicopters to re-equip two squadrons of 111th regiment from Pleso military airport near Zagreb and the 790th squadron from Divulje military airport near Split, which was under the command of the Yugoslav Navy. In total, the Yugoslav Air Force received 92 Mi-8T transport helicopters from Soviet Union, known formally to the military as the HT-40, while local modification of several helicopters into electronic warfare variants produced the HT-40E. Some 40 helicopters were equipped for firefighting operations.

The Yugoslav Mi-8s' first combat operations were transport of army troops and federal police forces to border crossings in Slovenia on 27 June 1991. The members of Slovenian Territorial Defence fired Strela 2 MANPAD, and shot one helicopter down, killing all crew and passengers.

During combat in the winter of 1991 in Croatia and in the spring of 1992 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslav People's Army used the Mi-8 fleet for evacutaion of injured personnel, transport of cargo and search and rescue of crews of aircraft forced down. As the most of flights were made behind the front, the Croatian forces were able to down only one helicopter, hit with small arms fire near Slavonski Brod on 4 October 1991.

After Bosnian Serbs declared their state in the spring of 1992, some former Yugoslav Air Force Mi-8s continued service in new armed forces. The inventory of the 82nd mixed helicopter squadron of 92nd aviation brigade of Army of Republika Srpska contains 12 Mi-8T helicopters which continued in service until Operation Koridor. During that period, the Republika Srpska Air Force lost 3 Mi-8 helicopters to enemy fire. Three helicopters painted in a blue and white colour scheme flew in the first part of 56th helicopter squadron of Krajina Milicija, using Udbina military airport in Lika as their main base. The Republika Srpska Air Force continued to operate 9 helicopters, albeit suffering problems with maintenance and spare parts, until it was formally disbanded in 2006.

Mi-8T #12241 Jugoslav AF,138th Transport Aviation Brigade, Batajnica AF, 1991
Mi-8TV #12239 Jugoslav AF, 111th Aviation Brigade, Pleso AF, 1991
Mi-8MT #305 Macedonian AF,301st Transport Helicopter Sq., Petrovec AB,2006
Mi-17 #301 Macedonian AF, 301st Transport Helicopter Sq., Petrovec AB,2007
Mi-8MTV #1803, Bosnian and Croat Federation AF, Raljevac AB, 1999
Mi-8T #12269 Serbian AF, 890th Mixed Helicopter Sq., Batajnica AB, 2011
Mi-8T #12205 'Vrcek'(Ex Jugoslav seized by the Slovenian Army), Rakicani sports airfield, 1991
Mi-8T #H-101, Croatian AF, Mixed Helicopter Squadron, Lucko AB, 1992/93