Serbian Land Forces

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Serbian Land Forces


Serbian Ground Forces
Active Since 2007
Country Serbia
Branch Army (Ground forces)
Size 32,000 professional troops, smaller number of conscripts
Part of Serbian Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ Niš
Motto "For Honor and Freedom of the Fatherland"
Serbian: За слободу и част Отаџбине
Commanders
Commander Lt. Gen. Mladen Ćirković

Land Forces (Serbian: Копнена Војска - КоВ or Kopnena Vojska - KoV) is the largest and the oldest army branch of Serbia. Its organization, structure, armaments and equipment are tailored to support their assigned missions and tasks, predominately on the ground.

Contents

[edit] Mission

Land Forces Command is primarily responsible for:

  • deterring armed threats
  • defense of the territory
  • creating conditions for mobilization and development of the Army and other bodies, and organization of defense system,
  • participation in peace-keeping operations and international military cooperation and
  • providing support to civil authorities in countering non-military challenges, risks and security threats.

[edit] Present organization

Serbian soldiers on patrol.
Serbian soldiers on patrol.

[edit] Manpower

Serbian Land Forces are the largest army branch. Currently there are about 38,000 professional soldiers and a large number of conscripts. After the reorganization, a number of professional troops has grown and a number of conscripts has cut down. Conscripts will be disband by 2010, and military units will be 100% professional. The aims of which once the process is complete, is to have a force of about 36,000+ professional troops better able to respond to crisis situations.

[edit] Modernization

As of 2004, the general staff has begun to reorganize and re-equip the land forces component. With the fazed path towards a completely professional force by 2010, the basic quality of soldiers and the need for effective equipment and training has gone up. The reorganization of land forces is finished and is currently headed to a completely professionalized force, expected 2010. Procurement of newer and basic modernization is also planned.

For year of 2008 Military of Serbia have many development plans and projects for land forces. The main projects are purchase of new communication gear, new home-made Zastava M21 automatic rifles,12 more Nora B-52s, new 8x8 armored personal carriers and the most important for this year, finishing of Cepotian base near Preševo, which will be home for units of LF 4th Brigade. Finish of Cepotina will cut payment of Military of Serbia witch is paying a lot of money for charter of civilian facilities where are 4th Land Forces brigade units currently based. The older and more obsolete vehicles are under replacement with newer and more sophisticated ones. Recently a tender for 200 8x8 armored personnel carriers was announced with options for Patria AMV, BTR-90, Mowag Piranha or Pandur[1].

[edit] Structure

Structure of the Land Forces (click to enlarge).
Structure of the Land Forces (click to enlarge).

The current Serbian Land Forces are organized into four Land Forces Brigades, Combined-Arms Artillery Brigade, Special Brigade, River Flotilla, Military Police battalions and a few independent supporting battalions.

The four Land Forces brigades are bigger than the regular modern brigade (see Military organization for the size of the modern brigade) and their size is more akin to a division. The each Land Forces Brigade consist of ten brigades, one command battalion, two infantry battalions, one self-propelled artillery battalion, one self-propelled artillery battalion, air defense rocket artillery battalion, tank battalion, two mechanized battalions, one logistic and one engineer battalion. Only exception is LF 1st Brigade, which have only one infantry battalion and two pontoon battalions.

The current chief of the Serbian Land Forces Staff is Lieutenant General Mladen Ćirković.

The current structure is as follows:

SA-13 (upgrading) of LF 1st Brigade.
SA-13 (upgrading) of LF 1st Brigade.
  • LF 1st Brigade - headquartered at Novi Sad
    • 10th Command Battalion
    • 11th Infantry Battalion
    • 12th Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion
    • 13th Self-Propelled Missile Launcher Artillery Battalion
    • 14th Air Defense Artillery Battalion
    • 15th Tank battalion
    • 16th Mechanized Battalion
    • 17th Mechanized Battalion
    • 18th Engineer Battalion
    • 19th Logistic Battalion
    • 110th Pontoon Battalion
    • 111th Pontoon Battalion
Mechanized battalion of LF 2nd Brigade.
Mechanized battalion of LF 2nd Brigade.
  • LF 2nd Brigade - headquartered at Kraljevo
    • 20th Command Battalion
    • 21sh Infantry Battalion
    • 22nd Infantry Battalion
    • 23rd Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion
    • 24th Self-Propelled Missile Launcher Artillery Battalion
    • 25th Air Defense Artillery Battalion
    • 26th Tank Battalion
    • 27th Mechanized Battalion
    • 28th Mechanized Battalion
    • 29th Logistic Battalion
    • 210th Engineer Battalion
M-80A IFV of LF 3rd Brigade firing Malyutka ATGM
M-80A IFV of LF 3rd Brigade firing Malyutka ATGM
  • LF 3rd Brigade - headquartered at Niš
    • 30th Command Battalion
    • 31st Infantry Battalion
    • 32nd Infantry Battalion
    • 33rd Self-Propelled Howitzer Artillery Battalion
    • 34th Multiple Rocket Launcher Battalion
    • 35th Air Defense Artillery Battalion
    • 36th Tank Battalion
    • 37th Mechanized Battalion
    • 38th Mechanized Battalion
    • 39th Logistic Battalion
    • 310. Engineer Battalion
LF 4th Brigade solders in trench.
LF 4th Brigade solders in trench.
  • LF 4th Brigade - headquartered at Vranje
    • 40th Command Battalion
    • 41st Infantry Battalion
    • 42nd Infantry Battalion
    • 43rd Self-Propelled Howitzer Artillery Battalion
    • 44ht Self-Propelled Rocket Launcher Battalion
    • 45th Air Defense Artillery Rocket Battalion
      M-77 Oganj MLRS of Combined-Arms Artillery Brigade.
      M-77 Oganj MLRS of Combined-Arms Artillery Brigade.
    • 46th Tank Battalion
    • 47th Mechanized Battalion
    • 48th Mechanized Battalion
    • 49th Logistic Battalion
    • 410th Engineer Battalion
  • LF Combined-Arms Artillery Brigade - Aleksinac
    • Command Division
    • Combined-Arms Artillery Rocket Battalion
    • 1st Howitzer-Cannon-Artillery Battalion
      336 is part of Serbian river flotilla.
      336 is part of Serbian river flotilla.
    • 2nd Howitzer-Cannon-Artillery Battalion
    • 3rd Howitzer-Cannon-Artillery Battalion
    • Logistic Battalion
  • River Flotilla of Serbian Armed Forces - Novi Sad
Special Brigade members.
Special Brigade members.

[edit] Equipment

Main article: List of equipment of the Serbian Land Forces

The most of Serbian Land Forces are equipped are ex-Yugoslav Peoples Army weapons passed from Military of Serbia and Montenegro. The M-84 main battle tanks and M-80A infantry fighting vehicles, from 70's and 80's are the main armored equipment of Land Forces, while T-72's are used for training. There are also a number Soviet- made weapons such as BRDM-2 and BTR-50 vehicle's. From artillery weapons there are about 70 2S1 Gozdika Soviet self-propelled gun-howitzer, about 200 Orkan, Oganj and Plamen-S MLRS's and a lot of towed artillery weapons in reserve like D-30 and M-46 guns. army also operate a number of air defence systems like Strela 2, Strela-3, Igla and MANPADS and Strela-1 Strela-10SAMs. The newest equipment are infantry weapon's of Western and domestically made.

Currently the Serbian military is in process of modernization and soon Land Forces will get new FAP logistic trucks,[citation needed] new ballistic protection for infantry, M21S Assault Rifles and other equipment.[2]. There are also many plans for modernization of existing equipment like M-98 Vidra IFV, M-2001, Kurijak and others.[3] Recently a tender for 200 8x8 armored personal carriers was announced with options for Patria AMV, BTR-90, Mowag Piranha or Pandur.They decited to buy BTR-90.

Equipment Summary

Equipment Numbers
Main Battle Tanks ~277
Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicles ~562
Armoured Personnel Carriers ~200
Towed Artillery ~216 + 330 (in reserve)
Mortars ~1700 82 mm and 720 560 mm
Self Propelled Artillery about 70+
Multiple Rocket Launchers ~148
Self-Propelled Surface to Air Missile Systems about 230

[edit] Special Forces

Serbian 63rd Paratroop Battalion and US Ohio Army National Guard members during joint exercise.
Serbian 63rd Paratroop Battalion and US Ohio Army National Guard members during joint exercise.
Soldiers from Anti-terrorist Battalion during practice on the river.
Soldiers from Anti-terrorist Battalion during practice on the river.

The Serbian Land Forces contributes with four of the five special forces battalions of the Military of Serbia.

The main special forces unit is Special Brigade, created on September 29, 2006 which compose of three special battalions (63rd Paratroop Battalion, 72nd Reconnaissance-commando Battalion and Anti-terrorist Battalion), commanding battalion and logistic company. The Special Brigade was first reorganized unit of Serbian Land Forces and Military of Serbia. It's made from ex Yugoslav Army's - VJ (later Military of Serbia and Montenegro's - VSCG) Special Corps which has compose from the most elite units of the VJ, 63rd Paratroop Brigade (now Battalion), 72nd Special Brigade Hawks (now 72nd Reconnaissance-commando Battalion and Anti-terrorist Battalion), Battalion of Military Police Cobras, 82nd Reconnaissance-demolition diving sea center and other units. The main reason for unifying of Special units is cutting the costs with remission of command and logistic part of special units.

Beside Special Brigade, there is 93 River Center which is currently part of River Flotila. The 93 River Center will soon become part of Special Brigade, so all elite units of Land Forces will be organized under the command of the Special Brigade.

[edit] Ranks and insignia

Main article: Serbian military ranks and insignia

[edit] Gallery

Serbian M-84A MBT with new camouflage during the Sretenje 2008 military exercise.

Serbian Army M-84 MBT.

Serbian modification of T-72

BTR-50PU of Serbian Army.

Serbian police BOV M-86 APC.

Modernized BRDM-2 named "Kurjak"

The Orkan II modification with ex FROG-7 system on ZIL-135 truck.

Serbian M-77 "Oganj"

Serbian M-94 "Plamen-S"

Serbian 2S1 Gvozdika Self Propelled howitzers on fire exercise.

BOV-1 or POLO M83 vehicle armed with 6 AT-3 Sagger Malyutka missiles

Serbian Army NORA-A.

D-30J of Serbian Army.

Serbian soldiers shooting from 82mm mortar.

9K31 Strela-1 (SA-9) of Serbian Army Air Defense

BOV-3 Anti-aircraft armoured vehicle.

The FAP-1118 4x4 Military medium truck will replace old tam trucks.

The FAP 2026 6x6 Serbian military truck.

Pinzgauer

Mercedes-Benz Puch 300gd 4x4 Army.

VIU-55 Munja on order

MT-55A of Serbian Army.

M84AI TZI of Serbian Army.

CZ-99 Pistol 9 mm

Automatic gun 7.65 mm

Special Forces Crossbow weapon

Zastava M21

Heckler & Koch MP5 used for special ops.

Serbian soldier with M76 sniper.

Zastava M91

M93 Black Arrow Long Range Rifle

M72 7.62 mm Machine gun

M84 7.62 mm Machine gun

Serbian soldiers with M-60 Recoilless rifle and Zastava shotgun

M79 "Osa"

M80 "Zolja"

M90 "Strsljen"

9K111 Fagot

Serbian Bumbar anti-tank

Zastava BGA 30mm

[edit] See also

[edit] References

 The references in this article would be clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking.

translation needed...

  1. ^ Друштво : Војска Србије набавља 200 оклопних транспортера : ПОЛИТИКА
  2. ^ Domaća puška M21 u VS
  3. ^ Y!-report

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
v • d • e
  Serbian Armed Forces