On 15 October, 2026, at the barracks NH “Strasho Pindzur” in Petrovec, a military ceremony marked 15 October, the Day of the Air Surveillance and Reporting Battalion (ASRBn).
The Commander of the 1st Infantry Brigade, Brigadier General Dejan Chiplakovski, the Commander of the Air Force WING, Colonel Dragan Pavlovski, representatives from the Ministry of Defence, the General Staff of the Army, the Operations Command, representatives from other commands and units of the Army, as well as representatives from M-NAV attended the ceremony.
In his speech, the Commander of the Air Force WING, Colonel Dragan Pavlovski, talked about the important milestones in the development of the unit and its gradual integration into modern NATO air surveillance and control systems. He emphasized that “today the unit faces even greater modern challenges in coordination and cooperation with the NATO Alliance”, noting that “new aircraft and air defense systems, as well as the responsibilities and functioning of the Command and Control Center, will allow the unit to expand and adapt the spectrum of its missions and tasks to be ready to defend the territorial and airspace sovereignty and integrity of the homeland and its allies.”
In his speech, the Commander of the ASRBn, Lieutenant Colonel Kjemal Xhaferi, said that the past year was marked by activities that represent a significant step forward in developing operational capabilities. He also pointed out that in the upcoming period, “in accordance with the signed Technical Arrangement with the Republic of Italy, the second NATO country within the air policing mission, the unit will continue activities related to air policing in our national airspace.” He further pointed out “the special significance of activities to establish and operationalize the new Airspace Command and Control Center, as well as to intensify communication and coordination with NATO agencies and M-NAV, in order to improve operational work and increase the efficiency of the system.”
At the end of the ceremony, incentives were awarded to battalion service personnel who achieved remarkable results through their work and dedication, as recognition of their professionalism, commitment, and successful execution of tasks.
