The Soko J-22 Orao (Eagle) is a twin-engined, subsonic, close support, ground attack and tactical reconnaissance aircraft, with secondary capability as low level interceptor. It was built as a single-seat main attack version or as a combat capable two-seat version for advanced flying and weapon training. It was developed as a joint Yugoslav-Romanian project in the 1970s for the air forces of both nations, SOKO building it in Yugoslavia, and Industria Aeronautică Romnă as the IAR-93 in Romania.
The first SFR Yugoslav Air Force unit which received J-22 aircraft was the 351st (reconnaissance aviation squadron) from 82nd Aviation Brigade, Cerklje. Until the war, there were only three squadrons fully equipped with J-22 attack aircraft and NJ-22 trainer-attack aircraft. Those units were the 238th (fighter-bomber aviation squadron) from 82nd Aviation Brigade, 241st and 98nd Aviation Brigade, Skopski Petrovac and 242nd and 127th Fighter-Bomber Regiment, Golubovci Airbase. There were also about three squadrons partly equipped with J-22 aircraft.
At the beginning of the Yugoslav wars, in Slovenia, J-22s flew over in a show of force, but did not drop any bombs. The first offensive action by the J-22 was in 1991 when the Yugoslav National Army used them to strike targets in Croatia. They were used in attacks on arms dealers which were smuggling weapons into Croatia. During the first year of war only three J-22's were shot down, NJ-22 flown by Lieutenant Colonel Muse Begić who ejected safely and J-22 No.2512? flown by Major Z.Tomić (KIA) from 238th After the withdrawal of the JNA from Slovenia, 82nd Aviation Brigade was relocated from Cerklje to Banja Luka Zaluani air base. In 1992 when the Bosnian war started, the JNA left one squadron of J-22's to Republika Srpska Air Force. That squadron was the 238th nicknamed the "Risovi Vrbasa" (Vrbas Lynxes). Those aircraft were used in few combat operations at the beginning of war.
In 1999, Yugoslav J-22s saw limited combat against the KLA flying 20 combat missions at treetop level with no air-to-air losses to NATO aircraft[citation needed]. However, one J-22 was lost in an accident, hitting a hillside in Kosovo. In addition, eleven aircraft were destroyed on the ground, most at Ponikve airbase when a NATO air strike hit one hangar with six J-22 and two MiG-21 aircraft.
