User:TeratingaKevinBaughsNewFriend/sandbox/1999 NATO bombing of Valjevo

Battle of Valjevo
Part of the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
Date 4 May 1999 Location Valjevo, FR Yugoslavia Result Yugoslav victory with heavy losses NATO withdrawal from Valjevo
Belligerents
NATO	FR Yugoslavia
Commanders and leaders
Wesley Clark	Slobodan Milošević Dragoljub Ojdanić Milenko Pavlović  †
Units involved
78th Fighter Squadron
Strength
Aircraft: AIM-120s; F-16CJs	Aircraft: MiG-29s
Casualties and losses
Low or even no losses	Heavy losses

The 1999 NATO bombing of Valjevo, or the battle of Valjevo was a conflict during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.

History

During the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, multiple cities were bombed, and Valjevo was one of them.

On 4 May 1999, a lone Yugoslav MiG-29 flown by Pavlović attempted to intercept a large NATO formation that was returning to base having just bombed Valjevo (where Pavlović grew up). It was engaged by a pair of USAF F-16CJs from the 78th Fighter Squadron and shot down with an AIM-120, killing Pavlović.

Originally, a younger pilot was intended to scramble the MiG-29 before Pavlović himself pulled the younger pilot out of the cockpit before he would take off, allegedly telling the younger pilot that he 'was not going to die', but that Pavlović himself would.