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Željava Airbase was destroyed in 1992 as the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) withdrew from the complex. On their way out, the JNA carried out a series of controlled explosions throughout the tunnels and along the runways. The goal was simple: permanently disable the airbase for any future military or civilian use. As they left, all valuable equipment was removed and demolition charges were set at numerous points across the site. The damage from 1992 is still clearly visible today. Despite the destruction, the tunnels remain passable on foot — and exploring them is all the more atmospheric for it.
The mockumentary "Houston, We Have a Problem!" unravels the story of a supposed Yugoslav space programme — one that allegedly developed inside the tunnels of Željava. It's a Cold War story full of twists, intrigue and unreliable narrators. Testimony from people who claim to have worked on the programme pulls you into something that feels like a military-political thriller.
Using archival footage, the film tells the story of how Tito supposedly sold the Yugoslav space programme to US President John F. Kennedy — exploring the conspiracy, the lies and the high-stakes manoeuvring behind America's race to beat the Soviet Union into space.
The true cost of building Željava Airbase remains unknown to this day. Estimates vary widely, with figures ranging from 6 to 8 billion US dollars. Adjusted for today's values, that figure would exceed 22 billion euros. And that's just for the tunnels and runways. The full project also included radar stations and additional underground tunnels at the summit of Mount Plješevica, fuel storage at the Pokoj site, anti-aircraft defence systems, and much more. The true total? We may never know. This was a project where no expense was spared — not a single dinar, not a single dollar.
Below you'll find a selection of footage from Željava, shot on VHS cameras back in the day. The quality isn't perfect — but that's part of the charm.These clips give you a genuine glimpse of what the tunnels looked like when the underground airbase was still operational. Some of the videos also feature photographs taken at Željava over the years. We recommend watching these before your visit — but ideally after your guided tour, so you can really feel the difference between THEN and NOW.
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