The G-2 Galeb is a reliable light attack jet known for being the first indigenous Yugoslavian aircraft to enter service production. Although it saw limited export success outside of Yugoslavia, the G-2 Galeb remains in service today 50 years after its maiden flight, a testament to the endurance and reliability of the design. Although its primary purpose was (and is) to provide basic and intermediate training, the G-2 Galeb achieved fame as a favourite mount of many American "antique" warplane collectors. Although they only remain in service with three air forces, the Galeb designs inspired a number of successful variants, attack aircraft and trainers which have appealed to a wide number of air forces.
The G-2 Galeb was the product of a Yugoslavian Air Force requirement for a basic trainer that could replace a number of aging types currently in service. Ideally, the aircraft would need to be a lead-in attack jet/light fighter trainer to prepare pilots for the ground-attack role that many Yugoslavian aircraft specialised in. SOKO initialised the design and development process in 1957. A light two-seater design was chosen, and soon became the G-2 Galeb, SOKO's first original production aircraft and Yugoslavia's only indigenous jet until subsequent designs were developed by SOKO in the future. The G-2 boasted a host of modern features, the most noteworthy being British-built ejection seats, a fully pressurized cabin, and a built-in secondary ground attack capability. Curiously, it became one of the last military jet aircraft with straight wings, instead of the efficient delta or swept wings. Two prototypes were built and first flew in early 1961, and they exhibited excellent handling characteristics. A mere six years elapsed from the time the Galeb was developed to when SOKO began to manufacture it, a relatively short process compared to many other jet-powered aircraft. Although production was initialised in 1963, not until a year later were Galebs rolling off of the production line and into Yugoslavian air force service in significant numbers.
Although a total of three Galeb variants were produced, the initial and definitive variant was the G-2A Galeb model built specifically for Yugoslavian service. A tandem style 7-piece glass cockpit was positioned towards the fore of the aircraft, braced by metal struts. Although the G-2A trainer could equip many light ground-attack weapons, the nose of the aircraft wasn't sloped to the degree of many other trainers and attack jets, giving the pilot a slightly restricted view of his target. Inside the cockpit, dials provided information for the pilots who controlled the aircraft using standard "stick" systems, and each sat on a Folland Type 1-B ejector seat in case an emergency should arise. The two side-mounted intakes on the G-2A Galeb are the only visible evidence of the single Rolls-Royce Viper II Mk 22-6 turbofan engine which could put out a maximum of 1134 Kg of thrust. Despite not possessing auxiliary systems or multiple engines, the G-2A Galeb has a very good reliability record and is very rarely affected by problems with its powerplant.
The aircraft was designed with the minimum number of parts that could be added while still retaining performance and safety. Due to this the internal systems of the G-2A (and subsequent variants) can be easily maintained by mechanics or a ground team. The undercarriage of the aircraft is somewhat peculiar, as it was designed to be compatible (to a point) with carrier decks if the need should arise for Yugoslavia or an export country to land a Galeb on one of these ships. As a result of the strengthened undercarriage, however, the aircraft can be operated with ease from unconventional airstrips but gains some added weight. The aforementioned straight wings, despite being uncommon in the era of swept, delta and variable-geometry (swing) wings, gave the aircraft excellent manoeuvrability and handling characteristics, making it extremely popular with pilots. The wings had a span of approximately 11 meters, but wingtip tanks were a common addition since the aircraft had a range of 1,240 kilometres. The G-2A could achieve a maximum speed "clean" (devoid of external wingtip tanks, ordnance or drag-inducing systems) of over 900 KmH at high altitudes, although the aircraft's relatively low service ceiling of under 15,000 meters often disallowed this.
Although weighing a relatively light 2,620 Kg unloaded, the Galeb is able to carry a wide variety of air-to-ground ordnance for its secondary attack role. Unguided/"dumb" bombs, rockets, and heavy machine guns are the representative weapons of the Galeb and can be carried on underwing hard-points. Galebs have seen more combat than their contemporaries, operating first against the Croats and then against the Libyan rebels in the recent 2011 conflict. During both incidents, a number of Galebs were captured by hostile forces and flown sparingly. A French Dassault Rafale successfully destroyed a Libyan Galeb with an Air-to-Ground (AG) missile while it was landing in a disputed city, supposedly to reinforce Gaddafi's encircling forces. Coalition warplanes, although mainly those from France, were also able to successfully neutralize 5 more Galebs.
The G-2AE variant was derived from the G-2A as a slightly modified export variant which served with Libya and Zambia respectively. An unarmed G-2S was also built, but failed to secure the export success of its predecessors. In the 1970s, the G-2 design was modified into the J-1 Jastreb strike fighter. . The J-1 was essentially a G-2 with better armour, upgraded engines, a lengthened nose and a single seat as opposed to two. The G-2 Galeb design was also used as a basis for the G-4 Super Galeb, but was modified beyond recognition and the G-4 is an almost entirely new aircraft, with swept wings, new engines, and a shortened fuselage.
Written by: Pace51