Soko J-22 "Orao"
J-22 "Orao" (eng. "The Eagle") is one of the most famous domestic fighter-bombers that was developed and serially produced in cooperation between Yugoslavia and Romania. The first prototype flew in 1974 and it experienced international promotion at the Paris Air Show in 1985.
Although according to its characteristics it does not belong to supersonic aircraft, "Orao" J-22 has reached supersonic speed. On November 22, 1984, test pilot Marjan Jelen broke through the sound barrier during a diving flight over Batajnica airport. Technologies that appeared for the first time on Yugoslav aircraft were applied to the aircraft, such as a thin swept wing, a brake parachute, and a cabin under controlled pressure. In addition to two cannons and various types of classic aerial bombs, guided missiles were also introduced into the armament.
The J-22 performed its first combat operations during the wars in the former Yugoslavia. In that period, all "Eagles" were equipped with a system of passive protection against the effects of surface-to-air missiles. Protection consisted of heat decoys and flares. In the first days of the NATO bombing of FR Yugoslavia in 1999, the "Eagles" successfully operated against KLA formations on the territory of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija.
Airplane J-22 "Orao" is still in operational use in the Serbian Air Force, and its modernization is underway. There are several examples of this aircraft in the Aeronautical Museum.
