Skopje, 10 June 2025 (MIA) – The members of the Army’s Air Brigade within the Operations Command marked June 10 – Day of the Air Brigade with a military ceremony on Tuesday at the Strasho Pindzur military barracks in Petrovec.

Present at the ceremony, alongside the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, Major General Sashko Lafchiski, were the Commander of the Operations Command, Brigadier General Mirche Gjorgoski, the Director of the General Staff of the Army, Brigadier General Orce Jordev, officials of the Ministry of Defence, the General Staff, and Operations Command, unit commanders, former leaders of the structure throughout its evolution, officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Association of Defence Attachés and local government representatives.

The Chief of the General Staff, congratulating the unit on its day, underscored that with effort and dedication, the Air Brigade has transformed into a reputable and fully compatible unit that operates and develops in line with NATO standards.

“Guided by interoperability and operational criteria, and with the long-term defence development plan, I am pleased to affirm that the Air Brigade is moving towards modernization with new, state-of-the-art aircraft, as well as highly sophisticated combat systems and equipment for effective air defence operations, which will boost its combat readiness,” General Lafchiski said.

On this occasion, he also underlined the extremely important role of the unit in supporting civilian institutions and citizens in general.

In his address, the commander of the Air Brigade, Colonel Dragan Pavlovski, highlighted the significance of June 10 as a symbol of perseverance, vision and professionalism of the military aviation, which has successfully developed from the very beginning despite the great challenges following the country’s independence.

He referred to the key historical moments and stages in the development of the aviation component, starting from the first military flight in 1992, through the procurement of helicopters and aircraft, participation in international missions, modernization and the establishment of the Pilot Training Centre. He thanked all members of the unit for their dedication and emphasized that the military aviation remains a key pillar of defence capabilities and a trusted partner within the Alliance.

As part of the ceremony, awards and recognitions were presented to members who stood out with particular dedication and professional engagement. Those present also had the opportunity to watch a flyover of aircraft belonging to the Air Brigade and a flyover of a flyover of F-16s of the Greek military air force as part of NATO’s Air Policing mission, the Army’s General Staff said in a press release. sk/

Photo: Army’s General Staff