The two-seater J22 Eagle will undergo a general overhaul and it's service life extended during the first phase of modernization after which they will be able to fly until 2035 .
NJ-22 25505, manufactured in September 1987 , was withdrawn from service in June 1996 under the Sub-regional Arms Control Agreement under which the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was obliged to reduce the number of fighter jets. Until then, this aircraft had only 555.3 flight hours over 1182 flights and served in the Airborne Test Center , spending most of it's time in the 241st Fighter Squadron.
Jokanovic recalls that this NJ-22, with pilot seated in the front, was designed as an aircraft for pilot training in weapons firing and bombardment training . Now the rear cabin modifications will include upgrading the attack-navigation system and fire control system to give the aircraft a completely different purpose. The rear cabin will no longer be reserved for the flight instructor but for the navigator / weapons operator.
It is also pointed out that the Aviation Institute Moma Stanojlovic , as well as other participants in this project, have never had a more complex task than modernizing the J22 Eagle attackers, and states that nothing related to this aircraft project since its inception was cheap, including the current plan modernization.
According to Jokanovic, several new foreign jets can be purchased on the market, but the Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Army have made investing in domestic overhaul and production capacities a priority . A military journalist from Podgorica believes that it is not possible to simultaneously finance the modernization of the Eagle and also purchase new combat jets .
However, he believes that decision will not be delayed too long as the RV and PSC have to eventually find a new plane to replace both the Soko G4 fighter-trainers and the Soko J22 Eagle strike fighters. As he further reveals, contacts have been made and some interest has been shown for the Russian Jak-130 aircraft, which, according to Jokanovic, would be an ideal solution that would significantly improve training and facilitate the transition of young pilots from school fighter aircraft to MiG-29 fighter or some other more advanced aircraft. In the end, Jokanovic notes that time will tell whether the Army and Air Defense RV and Air Defense will choose a Russian Jak-130 , a Chinese L-15 , an Italian M-346, or a South Korean T-50 .