and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The bulk of the Yugoslav Air Force was inherited by the newly-formed Air Force of Serbia and Montenegro in 1992. 1999 NATO bombing An important portion of the 1999 war between Yugoslavia and the NATO coalition involved combat between the Air Force of Serbia and Montenegro (Ratno vazduhoplovstvo Srbije i Crne Gore), which was the predecessor of today's Serbian Air Force, and the opposing air forces of NATO. United States Air Force F-15s and F-16s flying mainly from Italian air bases attacked the defending Serbo-Montenegrin fighters, usually MiG-29s, which were in bad shape, due to lack of spare parts and maintenance. A total of six MiG-29s were shot down in 1999, of which three were shot down by USAF F-15s, one by a USAF F-16, and one by a RNAF F-16. One aircraft was hit by friendly fire from the ground. Another four were destroyed on the ground. During the course of the air war, Serbo-Montenegrin anti-aircraft defenses downed a USAF F-16C and an F-117 Nighthawk, the first stealth aircraft ever to be shot down in combat, along with dozens of UAVs. Missions Two primary missions of the Serbian Air Force and Air Defence are: maintaining airspace dominance over the country (including intercepting and eliminating airspace violators) and providing air support and transport for ground forces. Other important role is responding to natural disasters. Structure The Serbian Air Force and Air Defence consists of four brigades, two independent battalions directly attached to the Air Force and Air Defence Command, as well as the Aeronautical Overhaul Institute and Air Medical Institute. There are three operating air bases: Batajnica Air Base, Lađevci Air Base and Niš Air Base. In addition other bases (Jakovo, Zuce, Pančevo, Kragujevac, Novi Sad) house air defence units. Long-range surveillance radar station is located at Murtenica. Air Force and Air Defence Command 210th Signal Battalion (Belgrade) 333rd Engineer Battalion (Pančevo) 204th Air Brigade 101st Fighter Squadron (Batajnica Air Base) 138th Transport Squadron (Batajnica Air Base) 252nd Training Squadron (Batajnica Air Base) 890th Mixed Helicopter Squadron (Batajnica Air Base) 177th Air Defence Artillery Missile Battalion (Batajnica Air Base) 24th Air Technical Battalion (Batajnica Air Base) 17th Air Base Security Battalion (Batajnica Air Base) 98th Air Brigade 241st Fighter-Bomber Squadron (Lađevci Air Base) 714th Anti-armor Helicopter Squadron (Lađevci Air Base) 119th Mixed Helicopter Squadron (Niš Air Base) 353rd Reconnaissance Squadron (Lađevci Air Base) 98th Air Defence Artillery Missile