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598:, only to be written off. The other ping was recorded on 19. 5. 1999. by the combat shift commanded by Lt. Col.Đorđe Aničić (Dani's second in command). In his published wartime diary Aničić stated that the target had a large radar reflection and that the battery received unconfirmed reports that they hit a USAF
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could only be turned on for a maximum of 2 x 20 seconds in combat, after which the battery's equipment must be immediately broken down and trucked to a prepared alternative launch site, whether or not any missile has been fired. This rule proved essential, because other
Yugoslav AAA units, emitting
549:
Dani then ordered a third illumination round, against his own rules, but knowing that NATO lacked immediate counterstrike capability on the particular occasion. Lock was obtained at a distance of 13 km and an altitude of 8 km. Two SA-3 missiles were launched in short succession, with one
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to attack targets in
Belgrade. The repaired P-18 radar returned to air by 19:50 and started to emit lower frequency. Lt. Col. Dale Zelko's plane (tail number 82-0806) and three other F-117 flying northbound were acquired at 20:40 local time and so the SA-3 battery's fire control radar went on air.
489:
planes were planted around the SAM sites to serve as active emitter decoys, which diverted some anti-radiation missiles from the actual targets (dozens of Iraqi MiG-21/23 warplanes, sent to
Yugoslavia for industrial overhaul, were seized in 1991, after Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait). Retired
478:
Dani's mobility rule was strictly observed in his unit, with the trucks relocating frequently during the 78 days of the Kosovo War, as they constantly shuttled missiles, radars and equipment among the dozen alternative launch sites, most of them embankments left over from already phased out SA-2
470:
It was decided two missiles would be launched against any target near simultaneously, in order to maximize hit probability. Unusually, launches were to be conducted against NATO aircraft that had already accomplished their ground strike missions and were about to leave
Yugoslav airspace. Their
490:
SAM radar sets were used as optical decoys, left at well-known military bases to lure NATO warplanes to waste munition on worthless targets. Owing to these measures, Dani's unit evaded 23 incoming HARM missiles, all of which impacted off-site with insignificant or zero damages.
463:, which allowed the SA-3 radar and guidance crew practice combat scenarios based on imitated engagements. Several soldiers were removed from position both during the pre-war practice drills and wartime guard shifts, when they proved unable to cope with the
575:. On May 1/2, 1999 the F-16 (s/n 88-0550) had already completed its combat sortie and was flying outbound from Yugoslav airspace, when its on-board radar warning receiver indicated illumination from Dani's SA-3 fire control radar. The pilot, Lt. Col.
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capability, with any hope of self-preservation. The lean use of SAMs also became a necessity later on, as the initial 24 March 1999, 20:20 NATO air strike destroyed eighty reloads of ready to use V-601M missiles stored in two concrete vaults at the
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electronic jammer and "Wild Weasel" anti-SAM aircraft launches during the late evening. Therefore, any F-117s in the air on that night were alone in the dark, but with high crew morale due to their invulnerability during previous days' sorties.
512:
movements from just 25 km, which was useful when combined with the comparatively short missile range of the SA-3 air defense complex. Furthermore, the P-18 meter band radar could be kept almost constantly emitting, since most NATO
429:, one hour better than the standard time. Further set-up and break-down time reductions were achieved by reducing the SA-3 unit's number of active 5P73 launchers and V-601M missiles to just 2x2 from the original 4x4 configuration.
520:
Dani initially claimed that four major capacitors had been replaced in the P-18, to further increase the wavelength. However, he later admitted that no such modifications had been made, and that his story was a "marketing trick."
80:, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Knowledge (XXG).
533:, 27 March 1999, Dani broke his own ruleset. He had information about unfavorable Adriatic weather conditions and Yugoslav spies residing near Italian NATO airbases informed the Yugoslav Air Defense HQ about lack of
554:
hit, as notified by an automatic radio pinger burst. The F-117 was structurally disabled by the sudden minus 6G negative load and stall-crashed in inverted position in an agricultural field, near the village of
582:
The radio signal logs of unit 250/3 contain two further proximity fuse activation pings beyond the F-117 and F-16 shootdown events, indicating that either extra NATO aircraft were hit or
432:
This reduction in missile capability was justified, because of the expected strictly limited time slots and occasions where a
Yugoslav SAM battery could open fire in face of a tremendous
471:
northern heading was pointing away from the direction of powerful NATO airborne jammer sources, thereby allowing the SA-3's un-modernized UNV fire control radar set to operate with less
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dispersal. The one recorded on the 30.4.1999. by the combat shift commanded by Major Boško Dotlić corresponds to a hit on a second F-117 which managed to return to its base in
1010:
626:, volume 11/2009, carried an extensive article on Zoltán Dani's story, on the occasion of his visit at the Hungarian Air Defence Collection, an NGO-operated SAM museum at
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sets, which used vacuum tubes and a large rotating Yagi antenna grid for meter-band illumination. Under optimal conditions the Soviet-made P-18 was able to plot large-
745:
630:. Certain aspects of the F-117 shootdown story and general Yugoslav AAA activity during the Kosovo War were publicly disclosed for the first time in the article.
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398:, constant relocation of all assets was key to survival of Dani's unit, the 3rd missile detachment of the 250th Yugoslav Air Defense Battalion. Although the
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Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
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In the evening, Dani's P-18 long-distance radar set malfunctioned at 19:05, almost the same time when four F-117s prepared for take-off from
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Dani tuned his P-18 to the lowest possible frequency, hoping that meter band waves would reflect from the inside of targets, rendering
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system is not a mobile SAM complex per design, its solid fueled missiles are transportable in near combat ready condition (in fact the
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Therefore, Dani trained his SA-3 unit to achieve a 90-minute equipment break-down time with minimal lighting provided for better
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In order to train personnel to operate efficiently under such pressures, Dani obtained access to an "Accord" electronic signal
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aircraft from 125 to 200 km, depending on the target's size, but with a high range inaccuracy of several hundred meters.
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657:, positioned 26th on the SPS ballot list. He assumed his position as a Member of the National Assembly on August 1, 2022.
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initially claimed the loss was due to "mechanical failure"; the F-16's pilot recounted that his aircraft was hit by a SAM.
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Content in this edit is translated from the existing
Serbian Knowledge (XXG) article at ]; see its history for attribution.
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towed jammer devices were destroyed by the missiles, as opposed to the SAMs simply missing due to radar jamming or
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helicopters. The F-117's large kite-shaped titanium engine outlet heatshield is still kept by Dani in his garage.
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Since retiring from military service, Dani has opened a bakery and a family restaurant in his native village of
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The UNV radar emitted at high frequency for 2 x 20 seconds, but it was unable to obtain a lock on the targets.
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746:"Yes, Serbian Air Defenses Did Hit Another F-117 During Operation Allied Force in 1999"
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Dani also claims that his unit downed the commander's F-16 plane from the Aviano-based
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high-frequency radiation for any longer periods or forgetting to relocate, were hit by
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skin technology ineffective. In practice his modified P-18 provided stable plot of
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922:"This is how the F-117A was shot down in Serbia by a SA-3 (S-75) Goa SAM in 1999"
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was made about Zoltán Dani. Dani also participated in the documentary movie
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383:
692:"That Time Russia said a Serbian MiG-29 Shot Down an F-117 Stealth Fighter"
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in the late 19th century, while his mother was also of
Hungarian ancestry.
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680:[How an officer became a successful baker]. Serbia. 29 July 2006.
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system. He was initially unknown to the public and aliased with the name
610:, although Dani was of the opinion that they hit a towed decoy instead.
378:. He is of Hungarian ancestry; his paternal family were Hungarians from
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to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is
360:. However, upon retiring from the military, he revealed his identity.
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821:"Foes now friends: US stealth pilot and the Serb who shot him down"
559:. The pilot ejected successfully and was rescued later on by NATO
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382:, who like the majority of inhabitants of the village, settled in
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General surveillance of NATO aircraft was provided by vintage
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Dani made it a strict field rule that the SA-3's UNV type
706:"Holloman commander recalls being shot down in Serbia"
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devices did not cover such a very low frequency band.
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Dani claimed that his battery also shot down a NATO
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964:from the original on 22 December 2021 – via
946:from the original on 22 December 2021 – via
935:Predavanje Zoltana Danija o obaranju aviona F-117A
911:from the original on 22 December 2021 – via
873:"National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia | MP"
847:"Andreja Savić i Zoltan Dani najveća iznenađenja"
602:strategic bomber which supposedly had crashed in
326:Dani was the commander of the 3rd battery of the
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98:accompanying your translation by providing an
64:Click for important translation instructions.
51:expand this article with text translated from
396:experiences learned from the 1982 Lebanon War
8:
1026:Serbian military personnel of the Kosovo War
907:. Novosadska televizija. 25 September 2013.
414:each created mobile versions of the SA-3 on
940:Shooting down the F117, Zoltan Dani Lecture
760:"Smena (Ratni dnevnik) : Đorđe Aničić"
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135:
422:tank chassis respectively in the 1990s).
1021:Serbia and Montenegro military personnel
979:"Serb discusses 1999 downing of stealth"
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1011:Officers of the Yugoslav People's Army
573:555th Fighter Squadron "Triple Nickel"
482:Radar sets obtained from confiscated
467:of being targeted by enemy aircraft.
7:
985:. Associated Press. 26 October 2005.
1031:Serbian people of Hungarian descent
1036:Serbian people of Romanian descent
920:Larkins Dsouza (8 February 2007).
732:Nevidljiva smena (Invisible shift)
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260:250th Air Defense Missile Brigade
942:]. TangoSix. 26 April 2017.
618:Ten years after the events, the
412:Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces
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529:On the particular night of the
390:Preparations for the Kosovo War
853:(in Serbian). 17 February 2022
608:Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
349:. The hit was achieved with a
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108:You may also add the template
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345:on 27 March 1999, during the
110:{{Translated|sr|Золтан Дани}}
974:from the cockpit of the F117
31:when mentioning individuals.
622:military aviation magazine
121:Knowledge (XXG):Translation
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719:Novosadska televizija 2013
72:Machine translation, like
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734:(Television documentary).
651:Socialist Party of Serbia
606:near the border with the
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53:the corresponding article
805:11 February 2012 at the
561:Combat search and rescue
27:. This article uses
19:The native form of this
16:Serbian military officer
567:Further combat activity
319:retired officer of the
119:For more guidance, see
515:radar warning receiver
354:surface-to-air missile
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655:2022 general election
328:250th Missile Brigade
315:; 23 July 1956) is a
271:250th Missile Brigade
238:Years of service
228:Serbia and Montenegro
92:copyright attribution
877:www.parlament.gov.rs
633:A documentary movie
465:psychological stress
380:Székelys of Bukovina
341:near the village of
904:7 slika Zoltan Dani
499:Radar cross-section
408:Polish Armed Forces
269:3rd battery of the
810:– official website
800:The Second Meeting
780:on 3 February 2009
639:The Second Meeting
449:fire control radar
100:interlanguage link
29:Western name order
1016:People from Kovin
827:. 5 November 2012
774:"The 21st Second"
653:candidate in the
577:David L. Goldfein
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1001:1956 births
784:3 September
649:Dani was a
592:Spangdahlem
437:Wild Weasel
367:. Although
313:Золтан Дани
305:Zoltan Dani
297:Dani Zoltán
289:Zoltán Dani
230:(2003–2004)
216:(1992–2003)
202:(1978–1992)
140:Zoltán Dani
25:Dani Zoltán
995:Categories
882:25 January
831:5 November
661:References
495:P-18 radar
444:SAM base.
427:camouflage
376:Skorenovac
347:Kosovo War
281:Kosovo War
185:Allegiance
179:Yugoslavia
161:1956-07-23
55:in Serbian
983:USA Today
620:Hungarian
557:Buđanovci
461:simulator
394:Based on
384:Vojvodina
343:Buđanovci
332:shot down
293:Hungarian
241:1978–2004
175:PR Serbia
114:talk page
962:Archived
944:Archived
909:Archived
825:BBC News
803:Archived
645:Politics
624:Aranysas
614:In media
330:, which
301:Romanian
266:Commands
90:provide
966:YouTube
948:YouTube
913:YouTube
895:Sources
857:2 April
628:Zsámbék
604:Croatia
596:Germany
250:Colonel
112:to the
94:in the
57:.
678:"Kako"
584:ALE-50
487:MiG-21
454:AGM-88
442:Jakovo
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851:Danas
588:chaff
510:F-117
484:Iraqi
351:S-125
171:Kovin
74:DeepL
884:2023
859:2022
833:2012
786:2009
434:NATO
420:T-55
418:and
416:T-72
410:and
400:SA-3
369:NATO
365:F-16
336:NATO
256:Unit
246:Rank
155:Born
88:must
86:You
600:B-2
76:or
23:is
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