Serbian Army of Krajina

Serbian Army of Krajina
Serbian Army of Krajina
Српска Војска Крајине; Srpska Vojska Krajine
Dates of operation	1992–1995
Allegiance	Serbian Krajina
Size	55,000 soldiers
Battles and wars	Operation Coast-91,; Battle of Vukovar,; Operation Medak Pocket,; Operation Winter '94,; Operation Maslenica,; Operation Summer '95,; Operation Flash,; Operation Storm
Colors	(Serbian tricolour)
War flag

The Serbian Army of Krajina (Serbian: Српска војска Крајине, СВК / Srpska vojska Krajine, SVK) was the armed forces of the Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK). Also known as the Army of the Republic of Serbian Krajina or Krajina Serbian Army, the armed forces of Krajina consisted of ground and air elements.

Created through the merger of the Territorial Defense of the Republika Srpska Krajina (TORSK), units of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and the Krajina Militia, the Krajina Serb Army was officially established on 19 March 1992. Responsible for the security of the RSK, its area of responsibility covered an area of some 17,028 km² at its peak, as it was located entirely inland it thus had no naval forces. The Serbian Army of Krajina, along with the state of RSK, ceased to exist in 1995 following the Croatian military offensive Operation Storm.

Organization

Commanders-in-Chief

No.	Commander-in-Chief	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1	Babić, MilanMilan Babić (1956–2006)	1992	1992	0 years
2	Hadžić, GoranGoran Hadžić (1958–2016)	1992	1994	1–2 years
3	Martić, MilanMilan Martić (born 1954)	1994	1995	0–1 years

Commanders

No.	Commander	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1	Novaković, MileMajor General Mile Novaković (1950–2015)	1992	1994	1–2 years
2	Čeleketić, MilanMajor General Milan Čeleketić (born 1946)	1994	1995	0–1 years
3	Mrkšić, MileGeneral Mile Mrkšić (1947–2015)	1995	1995	0 years

Structure

105th Aviation Brigade
44th Air defense rocket brigade
75th Mixed artillery brigade
"Pauk" Operational Group
Special forces corps
7th Dalmatia (dalmatinski) corps
15th Lika (lički) corps
21st Kordun (kordunski) corps
39th Banija (banijski) corps
18th West-Slavonia (zapadnoslavonski) corps
11th East-Slavonia (istočnoslavonski) corps

At the creation of the army, it was planned that its number would be 80,000 people, however it turned out to be less.

According to Colonel Kosta Novaković: 62,483 (772 officers, 2,709 non-commissioned officers and 59,002 soldiers) or 78% of the planned number.^[1]
According to the General Staff in 1994: 62,805 (2,890 officers, 4,329 non-commissioned officers and 55,886 soldiers).^[2]
According to General Milisav Sekulić: 71,409 (3,291 officers, 3,424 non-commissioned officers and 60,496 soldiers).^[2]

Mercenaries and paramilitary

There were around 700 former JNA officers, mostly from Serbia and Montenegro, that fought on RSK's side. Foreign fighters were mostly from Russia.^[3] Paramilitary organizations established in Serbia (but including Croatian Serb volunteers) supporting the RSK were White Eagles (Beli orlovi), Serb Volunteer Guard (known as Tigrovi), Serbian Guard (Srpska garda), and others.

Equipment

Equipment
			percent
Tanks			80%
Armoured personnel carriers			15%
Helicopters			5%

Armored Vehicles
- T-34/85
- T-55
- T-72 (2)
- M-84 (31)
- PT-76
- OT M-60
- BVP M-80
- BOV (APC)
- BRDM-2
- SU-100
- M36 Jackson
- M18 Hellcat
Artillery
- M-63 Plamen
- M-77 Oganj (11)
- 9K52 Luna-M
Anti-aircraft
- ZSU-57-2
- M53/59 Praga
- 9K35 Strela 1
- Strela 2
- 9K38 Igla
- S-75 Dvina
- 2K12 Kub
Aircraft
- An-2 (1)
- J-20 Kraguj
- Soko J-22 Orao (2)
- J-21 Jastreb (12)
- G-2 Galeb
- Aérospatiale Gazelle
- Mil Mi-8T
- Utva 66
- Zlin Z-526
Other
- Krajina Express
- K-15 Krajina Missile

Gallery

Krajina Airforce G-2 Galeb
Krajina Airforce Aérospatiale Gazelle
Krajina Airforce Utva 66
Krajina Airforce Zlin Z-526

References

^ Novaković 2009, p. 292.
^ ^a ^b Рат за опстанак Срба Крајишника. Зборник радова 1. - Београд: Тело Принт. - 2010, с. 199.
^ "Use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination – Note by the Secretary-General". United Nations. 29 August 1995. Retrieved 23 January 2011.

Sources

Vrcelj, Marko (2002). Rat za Srpsku Krajinu: 1991-1995. Zora.
Novaković, Kosta (2009). Srpska krajina: usponi, padovi, uzdizanja. Zora. ISBN 978-86-83809-54-7.
"The Army of Serbian Krajina", Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 October 1993

External links

"Vojska Republike Srpske Krajine". Archived from the original on 30 December 2008.

[FOOTNOTENovaković2009292-1] Novaković 2009, p. 292.

[RZSK-199-2] Рат за опстанак Срба Крајишника. Зборник радова 1. - Београд: Тело Принт. - 2010, с. 199.

[UN-Foreign-fighters-3] "Use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination – Note by the Secretary-General". United Nations. 29 August 1995. Retrieved 23 January 2011.

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