March 27, 1999 became a historic date for world aviation and military tactics when the Serbian air defense system shot down an American F-117 Nighthawk stealth aircraft. This incident was the first and only case of a combat loss of an aircraft designed using stealth technology. At that time, Yugoslavia had outdated but effective anti-aircraft systems S-75, S-125 "Neva" and "Kub", which, thanks to the skill of the operators and tactical tricks, were able to detect and hit the "invisible" aircraft.

At the head of the successful operation was Colonel Zoltan Dani, commander of the third battalion of the 250th Air Defense Brigade, who brilliantly implemented his knowledge and experience. Dani and his unit used smart tactics of regular relocation of anti-aircraft missile systems, the use of decoys and the shortest possible radar activation time, which reduced the risk of detection by NATO electronic warfare systems.

The downing of the F-117 was made possible through a series of bold and calculated decisions. Serbian air defense closely monitored the flight routes of NATO aircraft, and also intercepted pilots’ communications, which made it possible to accurately determine the time and place of the appearance of the American aircraft. Using this data, Dani set up an ambush, during which two S-125 Neva missiles were successfully launched towards the F-117, one of which reached the target.