Yugoslav People's Army

Yugoslav People's Army Jugoslavenska Narodna Armija Југословенска народна армија Jugoslovanska Ljudska Armada
Founded	1945
Disbanded	1992
Service branches	Yugoslav Ground Forces (KoV) Yugoslav Navy (JRM) Yugoslav Air Force (RV i PVO) Territorial Defense (TO) Civil Protection (ONO I DSZ)
Headquarters	Belgrade
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	President of SFR Yugoslavia (1945–1980) Presidency of SFR Yugoslavia (1980–1992)
Minister	Federal Secretary of People's Defence
Commander	Marshal of Yugoslavia (1945–1980) General of the Army or Admiral of the Fleet (1980–1992)
Manpower
Military age	15–65
Conscription	18
Available for military service	circa 8,000,000 (1978), age 15–65 (588,000)
Active personnel	620,000
Reserve personnel	>3,200,000
Related articles
History	History of the JNA
Ranks	Ranks and insignia of the JNA

The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA, YPA) (Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian: Југословенска Народна Армија or Jugoslovenska Narodna Armija – JNA,^[1] Cyrillic script: Југославенска народна армија or Југословенска народна армија – JHA^[2]; Slovene: Jugoslovanska ljudska armada – JLA) was the military of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Contents 1 Origins 2 Organization 3 Industry and Infrastructure 4 Ground forces 5 Air Force 6 Navy 7 Doctrine 8 Dissolution 9 Exemplary Soldier 10 Peacekeeping operations 11 Operational experience 12 Modern militaries from territories of former Yugoslavia 13 See also 14 Notes 15 References

Origins

The origins of the JNA can be found in the Yugoslav Partisan units of World War II. As part of the antifascist People's Liberation War of Yugoslavia, the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia (NOVJ), a predecessor of the JNA, was formed in the town of Rudo in Bosnia and Herzegovina on December 22, 1941. After the liberation of the country from the Axis Powers, that date was officially celebrated as the Day of the Army in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFR Yugoslavia).

In March 1945, the NOVJ was renamed the Yugoslav Army (Jugoslovenska Armija) and finally on its 10th anniversary on December 22, 1951, received the adjective "People's" (Narodna).^[3]

Organization

Once considered the third strongest army in Europe and fourth in the world (only the United States, United Kingdom and Soviet Union were stronger), the JNA consisted of the ground forces, air force and navy. It was organized into four military regions which were further divided into districts that were responsible for administrative tasks such as draft registration, mobilization, and construction and maintenance of military facilities. The regions were: Belgrade (responsible for eastern Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina), Zagreb (Slovenia and northern Croatia), Skopje (Republic of Macedonia, southern Serbia and Montenegro) and Split Naval Region. Of the JNA's 180,000 soldiers, more than 90,000 were conscripts.

In 1990, the army had nearly completed a major overhaul of its basic force structure. It eliminated its old divisional infantry organization and established the brigade as the largest operational unit. The army converted ten of twelve infantry divisions into twenty-nine tank, mechanized and mountain infantry brigades with integral artillery, air defense and anti-tank regiments. One airborne brigade was organized before 1990. The shift to brigade-level organization provided greater operational flexibility, maneuverability, tactical initiative and reduced the possibility that large army units would be destroyed in set piece engagements with an aggressor. The change created many senior field command positions that would develop relatively young and talented officers. The brigade structure had advantages at a time of declining manpower.

Industry and Infrastructure

The arms industry was dominant in the Yugoslavian economy. With annual exports of $3 billion, it was twice as large as the second largest industry, tourism. It had modern infrastructure with underground air bases and control centres in several mountains. The biggest and best known installation was the Željava Air Base, also known as the Bihać Underground Integrated Radar Control and Surveillance Centre and Air Base, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Several companies in Yugoslavia produced airplanes and specifically combat aircraft, most notably SOKO of Mostar, with the Soko J-22 Orao being its best known product. Another important manufacturer was Utva in Serbia. The Yugoslav military-industrial complex produced tanks (most notably, the M-84), armored vehicles (BOV APC, BVP M-80), various artillery pieces (mortars, multiple rocket launchers, howitzers), anti-aircraft weapons, as well as various types of infantry weapons and other equipment.

Ground forces

The ground forces led in number of personnel. In 1991 there were about 165,000 active-duty soldiers (including 90,000 conscripts), and over a million trained reservists could be mobilized in wartime. Each of the Yugoslav constituent republics had its own Territorial Defence Forces which in wartime would be subordinate to Supreme Command as an integral part of the defence system. The Territorial Defence (Reserve Force) was made up of former conscripts; they were occasionally called up for war exercises.

The ground forces were organised into infantry, armour, artillery, and air defence, as well as signal, engineering and chemical defence corps.

Air Force

The Yugoslav Air Force had about 32,000 personnel including 4,000 conscripts, and operated over 1,000 aircraft and 200 helicopters. In 1991, it was the second largest air force in Europe. It was responsible for transport, reconnaissance, and rotary-wing aircraft as well as the national air defence system. The primary air force missions were to contest enemy efforts to establish air supremacy over Yugoslavia and to support the defensive operations of the ground forces and navy. Most aircraft were produced in Yugoslavia. Missiles were produced domestically or supplied by the Soviet Union.

The Yugoslav Air Force had twelve squadrons of domestically produced ground attack fighters. The ground attack squadrons provided close air support to ground force operations. They were equipped with 165 new Soko J-22 Orao, Super Galeb and J-21 Jastreb, and older Soko J-20 Kraguj fighters. Many ground attack fighters were armed with AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles purchased from the United States. Others were armed with Soviet Kh-23 and Kh-28 missiles. The air force also had about ninety armed Mi-8 helicopter gunships to provide added mobility and fire support for small ground units. A large number of reconnaissance aircraft were available to support ground forces operations. Four squadrons of seventy Galeb, Jastreb, and Orao-1 fighters were configured for reconnaissance missions.

The Yugoslav Air Force had nine squadrons of 130 Soviet-made MiG-21 interceptors for air defence. First produced in the late 1950s, the MiG-21 design was largely obsolete in 1990 and represented a potential weakness in Yugoslavia's air defence. However, the bulk of the MiG-21 fleet consisted mainly of the bis variant, the latest production MiG-21 model, and was armed with Soviet Vympel K-13 (NATO reporting name: AA-2 "Atoll"), air-to-air missiles and some more modern Molniya R-60 (NATO reporting name: AA-8 "Aphid") missiles as well as twin 23 mm cannons. By 1989, Yugoslavia started developing a new domestic multirole fighter called Novi Avion, which was supposed to replace the MiG-21 and J-21 Jastreb fleets entirely. The design of the new aircraft was influenced by both Mirage 2000 and Dassault Rafale fighter types and it was to enter service by early 2000s. As an interim solution, a modernization package was planned for the MiG-21 and it is speculated that India's MiG-21 Bison upgrade was actually intended for Yugoslav aircraft.

In 1987, Yugoslavia acquired 16 MiG-29 interceptors.

Although not officially known at the time, Yugoslavia was rumoured to have been interested in the purchase of certain numbers of Su-25 attack-aircraft and Mi-24 gunships. Instead of developing its own fighter plane, the Novi Avion, the country made a request to licence-build the F-20, but due to unstable relations with the US, the request was rejected. By the late 1980s, the licensed production of Eurocopter Super Puma was also envisaged, but due to the dissolution of the country, it was never realized.

The Yugoslav Air Force conducted a large pilot training program with almost 200 G-2's, G-4's, and UTVA-75 aircraft. The propeller-driven UTVA trainers had under-wing pylons capable of carrying light weapon loads. A new UTVA Lasta trainer was under development in 1990. After practicing instrument and night flying, gunnery, bombing, rocket firing, and aerial manoeuvres in the Lasta, student pilots progressed to the Super Galeb. Twenty Partisan helicopters were used for pilot training.

One of the most impressive structures operated by the JNA Air Force was the underground Željava Air Base near the town of Bihac in Bosnia. The structure was made to withstand a nuclear explosion and was destroyed by the JNA in 1992 to prevent its capture. Željava was home to the 117th Fighter Aviation Regiment, which was composed of the 124th and 125th Fighter Squadrons, equipped with MiG-21Bis fighters, and the 352nd Reconnaissance Squadron, equipped with MiG-21R aircraft.

The Air and Air Defence Forces were headquartered at Zemun and had fighter and bomber aircraft, helicopters, and air defence artillery units at air bases throughout the former Yugoslavia: Batajnica Air Base (Belgrade), Niš Constantine the Great Airport, Slatina Air Base (Priština), Golubovci Airbase (Titograd), Skopski Petrovec, Sarajevo, Mostar, Željava Air Base (Bihać), Pleso (Zagreb), Split Airport, Pula, Zemunik (Zadar), Cerklje ob Krki and many other smaller air bases.

Navy

Minor surface combatants operated by the Yugoslav Navy included nearly eighty frigates, corvettes, submarines, minesweepers, and missile, torpedo, and patrol boats in the Adriatic Fleet. The entire coast of Yugoslavia was part of the naval region headquartered at Split (now part of Croatia).

The Partisans had operated many small boats in raids harassing Italian convoys in the Adriatic Sea during World War II. After the war, the navy operated numerous German and Italian submarines, destroyers, minesweepers, and tank-landing craft captured during the war or received as war reparations. The United States provided eight torpedo boats in the late 1940s, but most of those units were soon obsolete. The navy was upgraded in the 1960s when it acquired ten Osa-I class missile boats and four Shershen class torpedo boats from the Soviet Union. The Soviets granted a license to build eleven additional Shershen units in Yugoslav shipyards developed for this purpose.

In 1980 and 1982, the Yugoslav navy took delivery of two Soviet Koni class frigates. In 1988 it completed two additional units under license. The Koni frigates were armed with four Soviet P-15 Termit surface-to-surface missile launchers, twin 9K33 Osa (NATO reporting name: SA-8 "Gecko") surface-to-air missiles, and anti-submarine rocket launchers.

The Yugoslav navy developed its own submarine-building capability during the 1960s. In 1990, the main combat units of the submarine service were three Heroj class submarines armed with 533 mm torpedoes. Two smaller Sava class submarines entered service in the late 1970s. Two Sutjeska-class submarines had been relegated mainly to training missions by 1990. At that time the navy had apparently shifted to construction of versatile midget submarines. Four Una-class midgets and four Mala-class swimmer delivery vehicles were in service in the late 1980s. They were built for use by underwater demolition teams and special forces. The Una-class boats carried five crewmen, eight combat swimmers, four Mala vehicles, and limpet mines. The Mala vehicles carried two swimmers and 250 kilograms of mines.

The Yugoslav navy operated ten Osa class missile boats and six Končar class missile boats. The Osa I boats were armed with four P-15 Termit surface-to-surface missile launchers. In 1990, ten domestic Kobra missile boats were scheduled to begin replacing the Osa I class. The Kobra class was to be armed with eight Swedish RBS-15 anti-ship missiles, and fifteen of them were ordered in late 1989. Armed with two P-15 Termit launchers, the Končar class boats were modeled after the Spica class torpedo boats, and there were plans to upgrade them with Swedish-built missiles. Two Kobra missile boats were built by Croatia as the Kralj-class fast attack craft and both are still in service. The navy's fifteen Topčider-class torpedo boats included four former Soviet Shershen-class and eleven Yugoslav built units.

The Yugoslav navy's mine warfare and countermeasures capabilities were considered adequate in 1990. It operated four Vukov Klanac-class coastal minesweepers built on a French design, four British Ham class minesweepers, and six 117-class inshore minesweepers built in domestic shipyards. Larger numbers of older and less capable minesweepers were mainly used in riverine operations. Other older units were used as dedicated minelayers. The navy used amphibious landing craft in support of army operations in the area of the Danube, Sava, and Drava rivers. They included both tank and assault landing craft. In 1990, there were four 501-class, ten 211-class, and twenty-five 601-class landing craft in service. Most of them were also capable of laying mines in rivers and coastal areas.

The Yugoslav Navy had 10,000 sailors (including 4,400 conscripts and 900 marines). This was essentially a coastal defence force with the mission of preventing enemy amphibious landings along the country's rugged 4,000-kilometer shoreline and coastal islands, and contesting an enemy blockade or control of the strategic Strait of Otranto. The entire coast of Yugoslavia was part of the naval region headquartered at Split. The naval region was divided into three smaller naval districts and a riverine flotilla with major naval bases located at Split, Šibenik, Pula, Ploce and Kotor on the Adriatic Sea, and Novi Sad on the River Danube. The strategic islands of Vis and Lastovo were heavily fortified and unauthorised entry was prohibited. The fleet was organized into missile, torpedo, and patrol boat brigades, a submarine division, and minesweeper flotillas. The naval order of battle included four frigates, three corvettes, five patrol submarines, fifty-eight missile, torpedo, and patrol boats, and twenty-eight minesweepers. One antisubmarine warfare helicopter squadron was based at Split on the Adriatic coast. It employed Soviet Ka-25, Ka-28, and Mi-8 helicopters, and domestic Partisan helicopters. Some air force fighter and reconnaissance squadrons supported naval operations.

Doctrine

The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) had a unique operational military doctrine for a conventional military force. Yugoslavia based its defence doctrine upon the total war concept of "Total National Defence" which drew upon Yugoslavia's successful partisan history during the Yugoslav People's Liberation War during the Second World War. The "Total National Defence" concept gave the JNA the role of defending borders against aggressors with the intention of delaying an invader long enough for Territorial Defence Forces to enter the field and start wearing the invader down with partisan tactics. The entire Yugoslav population was to be engaged in armed resistance, armaments production, and civil defence under this concept. It was believed by the Yugoslav planners to be the best method by which a smaller nation could properly defend itself against a much stronger invader.

Dissolution

After the fall of the Berlin wall things started to change in Eastern Europe and so it was in Yugoslavia. Regimes in communist countries started to fall one by another and in January 1990 the Communist Party of Yugoslavia was dissolved during its 14th congress. That means that the Yugoslav army was left without ideological support because the communist party played the key role in the army. 99% of the officers of the Yugoslav army were members of the party.

In 1990 the dissolution of Yugoslavia began when the pro-western governments were established in republics of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina and Macedonia. These governments were trying to break away from the Yugoslav state and to form their own independent countries. In 1990 Socialist republic of Slovenia changed its name to Republic of Slovenia and stopped giving funds to federal government for military budget. Soon afterward Slovenian government started with the reorganisation within its TO defence and the government brought the TO under its control.

In Croatia the pro-nationalist government started with formation of paramilitary troops such as ZNG (Zbor narodne garde). Croatian government illegally imported large amounts of guns and ammo from Hungary. Former YPA general Martin Spegalj was caught on video tape while explaining to Croatian soldiers how to kill Serbs and the members of the YPA.

In March 1991 Yugoslav federal defence minister Veljko Kadijevic has organised a meeting in a military complex in Topcider. On this meeting were all 6 presidents of the Yugoslav republic, presidents of autonomous republic, the president of Yugoslav presidency and all top military officers. General Kadijevic said that there are numerous paramilitary organisations in Yugoslavia sponsored by foreign and domestic enemies of Yugoslavia. He proposed a proclamation of martial law on whole territory of Yugoslavia because these paramilitary formations were serious threat to state security. He said that YPA is dealing with Ustase, Chetniks and other enemies of the socialism from WW2. After that the members of the Yugoslav presidency voted against the martial law.

On the 25th of June Slovenia and Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia. On the same day Slovenian territorial defence units captured Yugoslav control posts on borders with Italy, Hungary and Austria. They also made border control posts on their border with Croatia. YPA had to attack because it was its constitutional obligation to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yugoslavia. On the 27th of June YPA attacked the Slovenian TO units on borders and also in all other areas which were under their control. Slovenian TO blocked all YPA bases in Slovenia and kept them under siege for 10 days. Slovenians also entered YPA's military high school and killed some of the students. This war lasted for 10 days and ended on 6 July 1991. YPA suffered around 150 casualties. Many of the YPA soldiers and officers were wounded or captured. After the Brioni agreement was signed YPA left Slovenia by 10 October leaving numerous tanks, rifles, trucks and other equipment. YPA was also attacked during the withdrawal throughout Slovenia.

At the same time war in Croatia started between YPA and Serbs on one side and Croatian paramilitary units on the other side. Croats started to siege YPA's barracks leaving its soldiers without food, water or electricity for weeks. Croatian citizens were against the YPA and they deserted from YPA and started joining Croatian paramilitary forces. Some of the high military officers of YPA also defected to the Croatian side such as air force commander in chief Colonel General Antun Tus. The war has spread to the whole of Croatia. YPA was in a difficult position. Soldiers tried to escape from sieged barracks with more or less casualties. Croats captured large amounts of weapons in YPA barracks. Most of their equipment Croats captured in Varazdin when general Trifunovic gave up fighting with Croats. Throughout the war YPA was trying to save Serbian civilians who were under attack from Croat paramilitary formations. YPA gave them weapons to defend themselves. In August the battle of Vukovar began. This was the biggest battle in the War in Croatia after Oluja and Bljesak operations. In this battle 90% of the city was destroyed. YPA used fighter and attack aircraft, rocket launchers, large amount of tanks and other equipment. In October Vukovar was captured and 80% of Croatian forces were destroyed or captured. At the same time in mid October Yugoslav ground army supported by navy and air force attacked the city of Dubrovnik and Konavle area where Ustase had their strongholds. By the 6th of December YPA has neutralised all Ustase formations in Konavle area but the city of Dubrovnik was not captured. After these two big operations YPA signed a peace treaty with Croatia and started to withdraw. The last YPA soldier left Croatia in May 1992 when ships of the Yugoslav navy sailed off Vis island to Kumbor in Montenegro. Earlier in 1991 on Vis Island the Yugoslav admiral committed suicide under uncertain conditions.

During the war in Croatia Muslims and Macedonians were refusing to join YPA and fight. Macedonia declared independence in August 1991. YPA left Macedonia in March 1992 leaving Macedonia without any heavy equipment, weapons or aircraft. In February 1992 Veljko Kadijevic resigned. Two helicopters of EU were shot down also in February by Major Emir Sisic with his MiG-21 over Varazdin. The two helicopters entered Yugoslav air space without permission. Major Rudolf Perisin escaped in his MiG-21 earlier in 1991 from Yugoslavia to Austria. In 1992 3 more Croats who were members of YPA hijacked 3 MiGs 21 and defected to Croatia.

In March 1992 Bosnia declared independence and the War in Bosnia started between Muslims, Croats and Serbs. YPA was in withdrawal and Muslims were attacking YPA barracks and soldiers till May. YPA left Bosnia in May 1992 and it left all its equipment to Serbs to fight Muslims and Croats who were against Yugoslavia and its army.

On 20 May 1992 the Yugoslav Peoples Army was dissolved because Socialist Yugoslavia was gone on 27 April 1992 when the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was declared.

Exemplary Soldier

If a JNA recruit completed basic training with distinction, he earned the Exemplary Soldier plaque. This meant that the soldier had gone above and beyond the call of duty. The plaque's text was addressed to the soldier's parents and sent to them upon completion of training. It stated that the recruit had excellent understanding of basic military training, military doctrine and politics. The plaque also stated that the recruit had shown excellent commitment to brotherhood and unity and had shown honor in defending the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Peacekeeping operations

• United Nations Emergency Force (1956–1967) – 14.265 soldiers in 22 rotations, Colonel Lazar Mušicki as commander of mission (Aug. 1964 – Jan. 1965);
• United Nations Yemen Observation Mission (1963–1964) – one squad;
• United Nations Iran–Iraq Military Observer Group (1988–1991) – military observers, General Slavko Jović as commander of mission;
• United Nations Transition Assistance Group (1989–1990) – military observers;
• United Nations Angola Verification Mission I (1989–1991) – military observers.

Operational experience

• Yugoslav Front (World War II)
• Trieste crisis
• Yugoslav wars
  • War in Slovenia (1991)
  • War in Croatia (1991)
    • Battle of Vukovar
  • War in Bosnia (1992)

Modern militaries from territories of former Yugoslavia

• Military of Bosnia-Herzegovina (Oružane snage Bosne i Hercegovine)
• Military of Croatia (Oružane Snage Republike Hrvatske)
• Military of Macedonia (Армија на Република Македонија)
• Military of Montenegro (Vojska Crne Gore)
• Military of Serbia (Војска Србије)
• Military of Slovenia (Slovenska vojska)

See also

• Front Illustrated Paper
• History of Yugoslavia
• Military of Yugoslavia
• Partisans (Yugoslavia)
• Titoism
• Organ Zaštite Naroda (Armije) – OZNA
• Kontra-Obaveštajna Služba – KOS

Notes

References

• Trifunovska, Snezana, Yugoslavia Through Documents: From Its Creation to Its Dissolution, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1994 ISBN 0-7923-2670-9

Yugoslav People's Army Leadership Commander-in-chief · Secretary of Defense · Chief of the General Staff Branches Yugoslav Ground Forces Yugoslav Navy Yugoslav Air Force Yugoslav Territorial Defense Personel Yugoslav People's Army Ranks