Soko J-21 Jastreb

The Soko J-21 Jastreb is a Yugoslav turbojet attack aircraft, designed by the Aeronautical Technical Institute (ATI), (Vojnotehnički Institut Beograd (VTI)), in Belgrade and manufactured by SOKO. Derived from the G-2 Galeb advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft, it was designed in single-seat ground-attack and two-seat advanced flying / weapon training versions.

Design and development
The J-21 Jastreb was developed as a replacement for the Republic F-84 Thunderjet, which had been the most commonly used turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft of the Yugoslav Air Force until 1967. On the basis of the G-2 Galeb, the J-21 Jastreb was developed as a single seat ground attack variant, flying for the first time on 19 July 1965.

Pilots sit on licence-built Folland Type 1-B ejection seats under individual canopies hinged on the starboard side in un-pressuried cockpits. Instruments and controls are entirely conventional with manually operated flying controls and standard flight instruments.

Powered by a single BWB licence-built Rolls-Royce Viper Mk531 the Jastreb has a conventional Aluminium Alloy stressed skin structure with few or no special features. The relatively thick aerofoil section, though limiting performance, provides room for fuel cells and the retracted main undercarriage which retracts inwards, giving the Jastreb a wide track and imbuing it with excellent ground handling characteristics. The levered undercarriage legs and relatively low pressure tyres allow the Jastreb to operate from un-prepared strips or rough surfaced airfields.

Compared to the Galeb, the Jastreb has a strengthened structure, allowing more weapons to be carried, including three 0.5 in Browning AN/M3 machine guns with 135 rpg, mounted in the nose of the aircraft. As well as the nose-mounted guns, the Jastreb is able to carry up to 800 kg on under-wing pylons, two inner pylons having a capacity of 250 kg for bombs, rocket launchers and additional tanks, while the six outer pylons can carry VRZ-157 127 mm rockets.

Variants

 * J-21 Jastreb: Single-seat ground-attack, reconnaissance aircraft.
 * J-21E Jastreb: Export version of the J-1.
 * RJ-21 Jastreb: Single-seat tactical reconnaissance aircraft.
 * RJ-21E Jastreb: Export version of the RJ-1.
 * NJ-21:Two-seat advanced flying trainer / weapons trainer / light ground attack aircraft.

Operational history
The J-21 enterred service with the JRV (Yugoslavian Air Force) on 31 December 1968, with very few, if any, remaining in service.

First Congo War
According to some reports, France and Yugoslavia supported Mobutu's government during the First Congo War. Namely, Yugoslavia agreed to deliver three J-21 and a single G-2 aircraft, as well as four MiG-21PFMs, while three Mi-24s were purchased from Ukraine. All these aircraft were based at Gbadolite and flown mainly by Serbian mercenaries.

With few exceptions it remains unknown exactly what happened with each of these aircraft and how they were used after their arrival in Zaire, in late 1996-1997. In the case of Mi-24s it is known that one hit a power line and crashed on 27 March 1997, killing the three crewmen and four passengers.

The fate of at least one J-21 Jastreb was not much better: one of the Serbian pilots, Ratko Turčinović, was killed while flying an ultra-low-level pass over Gbadolite, clipping a lamp post with his wing. The wreckage of his aircraft fell directly into a column of young soldiers on a parade, killing dozens. The accident is reported as being attributed to Turčinović's alcohol dependency.

Soon after the accident, the Serbs were expelled from the DRC and the Jastrebs were abandoned along with the Galebs. MiG-21s and Mi-24s, which were awaiting assembly by Russian or Ukrainian technicians at Gbadolite, were also abandoned and can still be seen on the ramp at Gbadolite (2013).

Operator

 * 🇱🇾 Libya
 * Free Libyan Air Force

Former Operators

 * Croatian Air Force
 * 🇱🇾 Libyan Jamahiriya
 * Libyan Air Force
 * Yugoslav Air Force
 * Zaire Air Force
 * Yugoslav Air Force
 * Zaire Air Force
 * Zaire Air Force

Serbia

 * J-21/RJ-21
 * The original prototype and over 31 J-21s are located at the Museum of Yugoslav Aviation in Belgrade.