1994 Serb J-21 Jastreb shootdown

On 28 February 1994, two pairs of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft shot down five J-21 Jastreb single-seat light attack jets–piloted by Republika Srpska (RS) or Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK) personnel–in Bosnia and Herzegovina airspace after they had bombed an armaments factory at Novi Travnik during the Bosnian War. The interception was part of NATO's Operation Deny Flight, with the shootdown constituting the first combat action in the alliance's history.

About 06:00, six J-21s flew from Udbina air base in the self-proclaimed Croatian Serb proto-state within Croatia known as the RSK. Two Soko J-22 Orao ground attack aircraft were also involved in the attack, but their target was an arms factory at Bugojno and they completed their mission and returned to Udbina unscathed. The pilots were a mix of RS and RSK air force personnel. A British airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft detected the aircraft and, after their warning was ignored, tasked a pair of United States Air Force (USAF) F-16C Fighting Falcons on combat air patrol (CAP) to intercept. The fighters issued a further warning, and when it was ignored and the J-21s dropped their bombs, the F-16Cs engaged the aircraft as they fled for the Croatian border. One US pilot claimed three aircraft shot down, and when the first pair of F-16Cs departed to refuel, a second pair of F-16Cs engaged, shooting down another J-21. According to RS/RSK records, a fifth J-21 was also lost. Three pilots were killed and two ejected safely. The single surviving J-21 was badly damaged and conducted an emergency landing at Udbina. The three surviving pilots were later decorated.

The shootdown showed the effectiveness of the NATO response, and was the sole example of fixed-wing aircraft being shot down by NATO during Operation Deny Flight. No more direct challenges by fixed-wing aircraft were made during the operation, but the RS and RSK conducted a few short raids into Bosnia from Udbina during the balance of 1994 before the airbase was struck by NATO in late November. In June of the following year, one of the US pilots involved in the shootdown was himself shot down by a RS surface-to-air missile. He ejected and was rescued by US forces.