894th Helicopter Reconnaissance and Liaison Squadron

The 894th Helicopter Reconnaissance and Liaison Squadron (Serbo-Croatian: 894. helikopterska eskadrila za izviđanje i vezu / 894. хеликоптерска ескадрила за извиђање и везу) was an aviation squadron of Yugoslav Air Force formed in 1952 at Borongaj airfield as Liaison Squadron of 5th Military district (Serbo-Croatian: Eskadrila za vezu 5. vojne oblasti / Ескадрила за везу 5. војне области).

History
Squadron was formed by order from December 17, 1951 on February 1, 1952 as part of 5th Military district. It was equipped with various training and liaison aircraft. Squadron was transformed into Liaison Squadron of 5th Air Command (Serbo-Croatian: Eskadrila za vezu 5. vojne oblasti / Ескадрила за везу 5. војне области) by 1959. In next period squadron has been dislocated from Borongaj to Pleso airport.

By the April 1961 and application of the "Drvar" reorganization for the Air Force, new type designation system is used to identify squadrons, so the Liaison Squadron of 5th Air Command has become 894th Liaison Aviation Squadron.

It was equipped with domestic liaison Ikarus Kurir aircraft. In May 1961 it was reattached to 111th Support Aviation Regiment. In 1964 squadron moves to Lučko airport. 894th Liaison Aviation Squadron has been disbanded in 1968.

By order from August 18, 1981, the 894th Helicopter Flight (Serbo-Croatian: 894. helikoptersko odeljenje / 894. хеликоптерско одељење) has been established at Pleso military airfield with 5th Army of Yugoslav People's Army for reconnaissance and liaison duties equipped with domestic made Soko SA,341 Gazelle helicopters. By order from March 1, 1985 it is designated as 894th Helicopter Reconnaissance and Liaison Squadron. Due the 1988 reorganization of field armies of Yugoslav People's Army, 894th Squadron has been strengthened for one flight at Brnik airport (former 897th Helicopter Reconnaissance and Liaison Squadron).

The 894th Helicopter Reconnaissance and Liaison Squadron was engaged in Yugoslav wars from first day of war in Slovenia. In the afternoon of 27 June, the Slovenian Territorial Defence shot down Gazelle helicopter with SA-7 missile over Ljubljana, killing the occupants - pilot, Captain 1st class Toni Mrlak (who was a Slovenian by nationality) and Senior Sergeant Bojančo Sibinovski. They were the first victimes of Yugoslav wars. The squadron was engaged in later combat operations in Slovenia and Croatia.

It has moved from Pleso to Željava Air Base near Bihać in 1991 due the order of the High Command of the Yugoslav Air Force, due the units that found itself located in hostile territory surrounded by Croatian forces had to evacuation of its units to safer territory. With war time reorganisation of Yugoslav People's Army, shortly after its dislocation, squadron hes been disbanded in 1991. Its equipment and personnel were passed to other units of Yugoslav Air Force and units of Army of the Republic of Serb Krajina.

Assignments

 * 5th Military district (1952–1959)
 * 5th Air Command (1959–1961)
 * 111th Support Aviation Regiment (1961-1968)
 * 5th Army (1981-1991)

Previous designations

 * Liaison Squadron of 5th Military district (1952–1959)
 * Liaison Squadron of 5th Air Command (1959–1961)
 * 894th Liaison Aviation Squadron (1961-1968)
 * 894th Helicopter Flight (1981-1985)
 * 894th Helicopter Reconnaissance and Liaison Squadron (1985-1991)

Bases stationed

 * Borongaj (1952–1959)
 * Pleso (1959–1964)
 * Lučko (1959–1968)
 * Pleso (1981–1991)
 * Željava (1991)

Equipment

 * Polikarpov Po-2 (1952-1959)
 * Yakovlev UT-2 (1952-1956)
 * Zlin 381 (1952-1959)
 * Kaproni Bulgarski KB-11 Fazan (1952-1959)


 * Utva Aero-3 (1959-1961)
 * Ikarus Kurir (1955-1968)
 * Soko SA.341 Gazelle Hera (1981–1991)