The Royal Yugoslav Air Force (VVKJ) operated the German Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3 fighter aircraft from August 1939 to April 1941.

When the country was drawn into World War II by the German-led Axis invasion of April 1941, a total of 46 Yugoslav Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3s were serviceable.

These small numbers were boosted by a 1947 agreement with Bulgaria, under which Yugoslavia eventually received about 120 G and K models to help equip the fledgling Yugoslav Air Force.

[9] In 1947, Bulgaria realised that it had a surplus of aircraft above what would be allowed by the Paris Peace Treaties, and rather than scrap them, it was decided that they would be transferred to Yugoslavia, reinforcing the newly established Jugoslovensko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo (JRV) or Yugoslav Air Force.

[a] In 1949, political disagreements between Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union (known as the Tito–Stalin split) caused deliveries from Bulgaria to be stopped after 53 single-seaters (known as Me 109s rather than Bf 109s in JRV service) and six two seaters (designated UMe 109s) had been received.

[14] In 1952, Yugoslavia received large numbers of Republic F-47D Thunderbolts from the United States, together with extensive stocks of spares, and this allowed the Messerschmitts to be replaced that year, with the aircraft going into storage.