126th Air Surveillance, Early Warning and Guidance Brigade explained

Unit Name:	126th Air Surveillance, Early Warning and Guidance Brigade
Native Name:	126. бригада ваздушног осматрања, јављања и навођења
Dates:	1992 – present
Branch:	Serbian Air Force and Air Defence
Type:	Air brigade
Specialization:	Air surveillance
Garrison:	Belgrade
Anniversaries:	18 June
Battles:	1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
Current Commander:	Colonel Aleksandar Dučić

The 126th Air Surveillance, Early Warning and Guidance Brigade (Serbian: 126. бригада ваздушног осматрања, јављања и навођења|translit=126. brigada vazdušnog osmatranja, javljanja i navođenja; abbr. Serbian: '''VOJIN''') is a joint tactical unit of Serbian Air Force and Air Defence, tasked with surveillance of the Serbian airspace and providing information on the current situation in airspace to all command levels in the Serbian Armed Forces.^[1]

History

The brigade was formed after the break-up of Yugoslavia, on 12 October 1992, out of the three previous regiments. During the 1999 NATO bombing, the unit successfully conducted its tasks and was awarded the Order of the National Hero for its outstanding courage and achieved results.

Missions

The 126th ASEWG Brigade conducts the following tasks:

• continuous surveillance of airspace
• detection, monitoring and identification of targets in airspace
• collection, processing, presenting and distributing data about the situation in air space to all command levels
• radar security and guidance of fighter aircraft
• direction of air defence artillery-missile units to targets in airspace
• navigation support to aircraft in need
• selection and arrangement of basic, reserve, false and follow-on radar positions
• maintenance of radar systems

Structure

The brigade consists of two ASWEG battalions, one support battalion and a command company:

• Command Company
• 20th ASWEG Battalion (Batajnica Air Base)
• 31st ASWEG Battalion (Lađevci Air Base)
• Battalion for Aero Technical Maintenance and Supply (Batajnica Air Base)

Equipment

The main equipment of a brigade consists of the following radar-computing resources and systems:

• AN/TPS-70 medium-range three-dimensional surveillance radar
• S-605/654 medium-range two-dimensional surveillance radar
• S-613 altitude measuring radar
• АS-74 and AS-84 automated systems

In 2021, it was announced that three Thales radar systems (including 2 sets of Ground Master 400, 4 sets of Ground Master 200 and 16 sets of Ground Master 40) are purchased with expected introduction to the unit by the end of 2022.^[2]

Traditions

Anniversary

The anniversary of the unit is celebrated on June 18, in memory of the day in 1915 when the Serbian Supreme Command issued an order to form steady surveillance signal stations, in order to mark the direction of enemy airplanes flights.

Decorations

Order of the National Hero (2000)

References

1. Web site: 126th ASEWG Brigade Serbian Armed Forces . 2022-09-09 . www.vs.rs.
2. Web site: 2021-12-23 . Srbija sledeće godine dobija nove Talesove radare za Vazdušno osmatranje, javljanje i navođenje . 2022-09-09 . Tango Six . sr-RS.