The G-2-A Galeb was the standard version operated by the Yugoslav Air Force. They were used primarily for school-combat training of VVA (Military Air Force Academy) cadets, thus the largest number of these aircraft was located within the VVA units. By 1968, the Galeb was reportedly being used for the training of the majority of the Yugoslav Air Force's pilots.
Balkans The G-2-A Galeb saw extensive combat use by the 105th Fighter-Bomber Regiment of the Yugoslav Air Force over Bosnia-Herzegovina during the Bosnian War.
United Nations personnel stationed in
Croatia observed multiple Galebs depart
Udbina in Serb-controlled territory to conduct strike missions.
First Congo War According to some reports,
France and Yugoslavia supported
Mobutu's government during the First Congo War. Namely, Yugoslavia agreed to dispatch three J-21 and one G-2 aircraft, as well as four
MiG-21PFMs, while three
Mi-24s were purchased from
Ukraine and sent to the region as well. All these aircraft were based at
Gbadolite Airport in the
Nord-Ubangi District, and were flown mainly by Serbian
mercenaries. With few exceptions, it remains unknown exactly what happened with each of these aircraft and how were they used after their arrival in Zaire in late 1996–1997. In the case of Mi-24s it is known that one hit a power line and crashed on 27 March 1997, killing the three crewmen and four passengers. The fate of at least one J-21 Jastreb was not much better: Ratko Turčinović, one of the Serbian mercenaries, was killed while flying an ultra-low-level pass over Gbadolite and clipping a lamp post with his wing. The wreckage of his aircraft fell directly onto a column of young soldiers on a parade, causing dozens of deaths amongst them. Turčinović is alleged to have fallen victim to a personal alcohol problem. After this event, the Serbs were expelled and the Jastrebs and Galebs were abandoned along with the MiG-21s and two Mi-24s which were meant to be put together by group of Russian or Ukrainian technicians at Gbadolite but the assembly work was never completed.
Libya The
Libyan Air Force was a prolific operator of the type; by 2002, it reportedly possessed a total of 80 G-2 Galeb aircraft remaining in its inventory. The type was used extensively during the
2011 Libyan civil war by government forces fighting against a popular uprising centered in the Eastern region of Libya. Forces loyal to Libyan leader
Colonel Gaddafi used the type to routinely perform ground attack missions upon rebel forces. On 24 March 2011, one G-2 Galeb was destroyed after landing by a
French Air Force Dassault Rafale after it had violated the declared
No-Fly Zone over
Misrata. The following day, a further five G-2 aircraft together with two
Mil Mi-35 helicopters were reportedly destroyed by French combat aircraft operating in the same area; satellite imagery later revealed that these five aircraft had in fact been
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 fighters instead. During the current
Second Libyan Civil War, Islamist forces from
Libya Dawn (led by the unrecognized
new General National Congress based in Tripoli) are reported to have two to four Galebs in service. However, their actual operational status is hard to determine.
Popular warbird Before the
Yugoslav Wars, at least a dozen Galebs were purchased by American
warbird dealers, and several are still on the civil register today. Other operators are located in Indonesia, Serbia, New Zealand, Slovenia and the United States. It's been also used in Air combat scenes of the
Aces: Iron Eagle III movie. ==Variants==