Founded October 1950, and produced license-built Westland
Whirlwind helicopters. Designed the G-2A Galeb two-seat
armed jet basic trainer (first flown 1961), produced
for the Yugoslav Air Force and for export; the J-1/RJ-1
Jastreb attack and reconnaissance versions of Galeb; the
P-2 Kraguj piston-engined counterinsurgency aircraft (first
flown 1966); the G-4 Super Galeb jet trainer (first flown
July 1978); built the Aerospatiale/Westland
G-4 "Super Galeb"
(q.v.) Gazelle helicopter under license in several versions, including Partizan,
GAMA antiarmor model and HERA reconnaissance
model; and joined lAv Craiova (q.v.) of Romania in development/
production of J-22 Orao/IAR-93 attack aircraft
(first flown 1974 but out of production before all deliveries
made, due to regional conflict). Privatized 1991, at
which time extensive subcontract work included components/
assemblies for Airbus, ATR, Dassault, de Havilland,
EMBRAER, Eurocopter, McDonnell Douglas and Tupoiev
commercial aircraft. Did not go out of business during
regional conflict that followed, but had short periods of
inactivity during the worst of the troubles. See Soko Air
Ltd for 1998 restructure.
