The Armed Forces of Serbia and Montenegro (Serbo-Croatian: Војска Србије и Црне Горе, Vojska Srbije i Crne Gore, [ВСЦГ / VSCG]) included ground forces with internal and border troops, naval forces, air and air defense forces, and civil defense. From 1992 to 2003, the VSCG was called the Yugoslav Army (Serbo-Croatian: Војска Југославије, BJ / Vojska Jugoslavije, VJ, lit. 'Army [of] Yugoslavia'),[1][2] created from the remnants of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), the military of SFR Yugoslavia. The rump state, then named Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, participated in the Yugoslav Wars with limited direct intervention of its own armed forces. Following the end of the Wars and the constitutional reforms of 2003 by which the state was renamed "Serbia and Montenegro", the military accordingly changed its name. The military was heavily involved in combating Albanian separatists during the Kosovo War and Preševo Valley conflict, and also engaged NATO warplanes during the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.
| Armed Forces of Serbia and Montenegro Yugoslav Army | |
|---|---|
| Војска Србије и Црне Горе / Vojska Srbije i Crne Gore (2003–2006) Војска Југославије / Vojska Jugoslavije (1992–2003) | |
 Serbia and Montenegro Armed Forces' seal | |
| Founded | May 20, 1992 (as the Yugoslav Army) |
| Current form | Serbian Armed Forces Armed Forces of Montenegro |
| Disbanded | June 5, 2006 |
| Service branches |  Ground Forces War Navy Air Force |
| Headquarters | Belgrade, Serbia, Serbia and Montenegro |
| Leadership | |
| President |  Svetozar Marović (last) |
| Prime Minister |  Dragiša Pešić (last) |
| Minister of Defence |  Zoran Stanković (last) |
| Chief of the General Staff |  Lt. Col. General Ljubiša Jokić (last) |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 19 |
| Conscription | Yes |
| Active personnel | 114,000 (1999) |
| Reserve personnel | 400,000 (1999) |
| Related articles | |
| History | |
| Ranks | Ranks and insignia of Serbia and Montenegro |
Upon the dissolution of Serbia and Montenegro with the Montenegrin independence referendum (2006), a fraction of the joint military was given to Montenegro, with the bulk of the force remaining in Serbia. Montenegro inherited the navy as Serbia is landlocked.
Organization
edit
VJ
editThe Armed Forces of Yugoslavia (VJ) was organized into the following:
Ground Forces
edit- 1st Army
- Novi Sad Corps
- Belgrade Command
- Kragujevac Corps
- Independent units
- 2nd Army
- Podgorica Corps
- Užice Corps
- Independent units
- 3rd Army
- Niš Corps
- Leskovac Corps
- Priština Corps
- Independent units
Navy
edit- War Command
- Flotilla
- 81st
- 83rd
- 85th
- 108th
- 110th
- 82nd
- 69th
- 367th
- 9th
- 10th
- 27th
- 61st
- 223rd
- 9th
Air Force
editVSCG
editGround Forces
editInventory
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Ground Forces
edit- Armoured vehicles
- Artillery
- Air Defence
- Bofors 40 mm gun L/70
- M53/59 Praga – 100–200
- SA-7
- SA-14
- SA-18
- SA-9
- SA-13
- SA-3
- SA-6
- Infantry weapons
- CZ-99 Pistol 9 mm
- M70A/M70B1 Assault Rifles 7.62 mm
- M93 Black Arrow Long Range Rifle
- BGA
- M76 7.9 mm Sniper rifle
- M72 7.62 mm Machine gun
- M84 7.62 mm Machine gun
- M87 12.7 mm Heavy Machine gun[3]
- AT-3 Sagger
- AT-4 Spigot
- M79 "Osa" 90 mm
- M80 "Zolja" 64 mm rocket grenade launcher
Air Force
editThe inventory included MiG-21 (fighter/recon/trainer), MiG-29 (fighter/trainer), Soko J-22 (ground/recon/trainer), Soko G-2 (fighter/bomber/trainer), Soko G-4 (fighter/bomber/target/trainer, Antonov An-2 (cargo), Antonov An-26 (cargo), Yakovlev Yak-40 (VIP), Mil Mi-8 (multirole), Mil Mi-14 (anti-submarine), Kamov Ka-25 (anti-submarine), Kamov Ka-28 (anti-submarine), Aérospatiale Gazelle (attack/utility/recon).
Navy
edit| War Navy of the Army of Yugoslavia (1992–2003) War Navy of Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2006) | |
|---|---|
| Ратна морнарица Војске Југославије (1992–2003) Ратна Морнарица Србије и Црне Горе (2003–2006) | |
.svg) Emblem of the Navy from 1992 to 2003 | |
| Active | May 1992 – June 2006 |
| Country |  Serbia and Montenegro |
| Garrison/HQ | Kotor, Montenegro, Serbia and Montenegro |
| March | "Mi smo ratna mornarica!" (English: "We are the War Navy!")[4] |
| Insignia | |
| Ensign |  |
| Jack |  |
The Navy, officially called the War Navy of the Army of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian: Ратна морнарица Војске Југославије, Ratna mornarica Vojske Jugoslavije, RMVJ) from 1992 to 2003 and the War Navy of Serbia and Montenegro (Serbo-Croatian: Ратна Морнарица Србије и Црне Горе, Ratna Mornarica Srbije i Crne Gore, lit. 'War Navy of Serbia and Montenegro') from 2003 to 2006, was based in Kotor and was largely made of vessels inherited from the pre-1992 Yugoslav War Navy (Serbo-Croatian: Југословенска ратна морнарица, Jugoslovenska ratna mornarica, lit. 'Yugoslav War Navy').[5][6] During NATO's Operation Allied Force in 1999, the Navy took control over civilian shipping around Kotor, despite NATO's blockade[7] and in several actions the navy's warships fired at NATO aircraft that were on their way to strike Yugoslav targets.[8] The Navy claimed to have shot down three UAVs over Boka Kotorska. The images of the remains of one of them were displayed online.[9]
- Koni-class frigate (2)
- Kotor-class frigate (2)
- Heroj-class submarine (3)
- Sava-class submarine (2)
- Una-class submarine (5)
- Končar-class missile boat (6)
- Osa class missile boat (10)
- Jadran sailboat
- Neštin class minesweeper (7)
- Kozara river ship
Intelligence
editOperational experience
edit- Croatian War and Bosnian War (1992–1995), unofficially, logistical support and supplies
- Insurgency in Kosovo (27 May 1995 – 28 February 1998), belligerent, counter-terrorism
- Kosovo War (28 March 1998 – 11 June 1999), including NATO bombing of Yugoslavia (23 March – 10 June 1999), belligerent
- Insurgency in the Preševo Valley (12 June 1999 – 1 June 2001), belligerent, counter-terrorism
Statistics
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Civilians fit for military service were estimated at 4,888,595 (2001 est.). The 2002 estimate for military expenditures as percent of GDP was 4.6%. Significant reforms were undertaken in the military of Serbia and Montenegro. In 2002 the Serbo-Montenegrin Military force numbered around 117,500 soldiers, supported by some 450,000 reserves. The 100,000 strong Army had 1,500 main battle tanks and 687 armed infantry vehicles. The Navy had 3,500 personnel, of whom 900 were marines. The entire Navy was composed totally out of 6 submarines, 3 frigates, 41 patrol & coastal ships and 14 "other" vessels. The Air force 14,000 personnel had 192 combat aircraft and 72 armed helicopters.
Branches
edit- Army or Ground Forces (Kopnena vojska – KoV VSCG)
- Air Force and Air Defense (Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo i Protivvazdušna odbrana – RV i PVO VSCG)
- Navy (Ratna Mornarica – RM VSCG)
Military manpower – military age: 19 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower – availability:
males age 15–49: 3,579,620 (2003 est.)
Military manpower – fit for military service:
males age 15–49: 3,077,660 (2003 est.)
Military manpower – reaching military age annually:
males: 101,547 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures – dollar figure: $954 million (2002)
Military expenditures – percent of GDP: 4.6% (2002. est.)
International deployment
editThe VJ was in Croatia until October 20, 1992.[10]
The VSCG was part of MONUC, the UN mission in the Congo. The VSCG was also part of UNAMSIL, the UN mission into Sierra Leone.
Last chief of staff of the Military of Serbia and Montenegro was general Ljubiša Jokić.
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ Biljana Vankovska (2000). "Civil-Military Relations in the Third Yugoslavia" (working paper). Copenhagen Peace Research Institute. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022 – via Columbia University.
- ^ Judah, Tim (2000). The Serbs. Yale University Press. p. 325. ISBN 0-300-08507-9.
JNA (now simply called the Yugoslav Army)
- ^ "Arsenal" magazine, 15 October 2007 Archived 26 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine (in Serbian)
- ^ "Yugoslavian Navy March | Mi smo ratna mornarica! | We are war navy!". YouTube.
- ^ Hearings on National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993--H.R. 5006 and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs Before the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, One Hundred Second Congress, Second Session: Seapower and Strategic and Critical Materials Subcommittee Hearings on Seapower : Hearings Held February 5, March 17, 24, April 2, 9, and 30, 1992. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1992. ISBN 9780160392757.
- ^ Hattendorf, John B. (2013-11-05). Naval Strategy and Power in the Mediterranean: Past, Present and Future. Routledge. ISBN 9781136713163.
- ^ Myers, Steven Lee (1999-05-05). "CRISIS IN THE BALKANS: THE BLOCKADE; Leaders of NATO Reject Proposal by General Clark to Fire on Ships That Defy Oil Embargo". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
- ^ Husarska, Anna (1999-04-17). "Opinion | Between Milosevic and the West, Montenegro's Balance of Fear". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
- ^ "UAV REMAINS IN YUGOSLAVIA". yumodelclub.tripod.com. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
- ^ "Last Yugoslav army troops withdrawing from Croatia". UPI.
External links
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- Yugoslav Ground Forces
- Serbian and Montenegrin Armed Forces / Vojska Srbije i Crne Gore – VSCG
- Army of Yugoslavia / Vojska Jugoslavije
- The Great Secret of Serbian Military Affair, which covers the time when Serbia and Montenegro was in the state union
- Encyclopedia of the Nations