Bosnian Serb Army

The Army of Republika Srpska (; ВРС/VRS), commonly referred to in English as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of Republika Srpska, the self-proclaimed Serb secessionist republic, a territory within the newly independent Bosnia and Herzegovina (formerly part of Yugoslavia), which it defied and fought against. Active during the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995, it continued to exist as the armed forces of RS, one of two entities making up Bosnia and Herzegovina, until 2006 when it was integrated into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Forces of the VRS engaged in several campaigns, including Operation Corridor 92, Operation Vrbas '92, Operation Bura, and Operation Spider; they were also involved in the siege of Sarajevo, as well as the Srebrenica massacre.

Personnel

The Army of the Republika Srpska (VRS) was founded on 12 May 1992 from the remnants of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from which Bosnia and Herzegovina had seceded earlier in 1992. When the Bosnian War erupted, the JNA formally discharged 80,000 Bosnian Serb troops. These troops, who were allowed to keep their heavy weapons, formed the core of what would become the Army of the Republika Srpska, benefiting from access to significant JNA stockpiles and infrastructure.

The VRS was made up largely of ethnic Serbs from Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also attracted around 4,000 foreign Orthodox Christian fighters, many of whom were drawn by nationalist or religious motivations. 700 such fighters came from Russia, and 300–800 from Bulgaria. 100 Greeks also volunteered to fight on the side of the Bosnian Serbs, forming the Greek Volunteer Guard which allegedly participated in the Srebrenica massacre. A number of Romanians and Ukrainians fought as well on the Bosnian Serb side.

Post-war status and abolishment

After the war, the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina had two armies, that of the VRS and the Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH). AFBiH was itself composed of two elements, the ARBiH and HVO. The two armies functioned without a common command, on the principle of "non-intervention in the affairs of the other". Bisera Turković noted that it was 'therefore questionable whether in say a foreign attack on Sarajevo ..the VRSwould defend this capital city'. The existence of the two separate armies was one of the factors impeding civil-military relations development. The VRS conducted demining.

In 2003 the army began to integrate into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2005 a fully integrated unit of Serbs, Bosniaks, and Croats was deployed to augment the US-led coalition forces in Iraq. On 6 June 2006, it was fully integrated into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina controlled by the Ministry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Leadership

The supreme commander of the VRS was General Ratko Mladić, later indicted at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for genocide, as were some other high-ranking Serb officers. Mladić was arrested in Serbia on 26 May 2011.

Military operations

* Operation Corridor 92 (24 June – 6 October 1992) against Croatian forces; victory
* Operation Vrbas '92 (June – October 1992) against ARBiH and HVO; victory
* Mitrovdan offensive (8–13 November 1992) against HVO, HOS, HV; victory
* Operation Sadejstvo (20 July — 27 July 1993) against ARBiH; victory
* Operation Star '94 (6–18 April 1994) against ARBiH and NATO forces; victory
* Operation Spider (16 November –17 December 1994) against ARBiH; victory
* Operation Shield 94 (4–20 November 1994) against the 5th Corps of ARBiH; victory
* Battle of Orašje (5 May – 10 June 1995) against Croatian forces; defeat

Special units

* Panthers Guard Special Brigade (Garda Panteri) (), East-Bosnian Corps
* Wolves of the Drina, or Drina Wolves (), Drina Corps
* Special Unit "Peša" (), East-Bosnian Corps
* Special Unit "Mando" (), East-Bosnian Corps
* Special Unit "Osmaci" (), Drina Corps
* 1st Guards Motorized Brigade (), General Staff
* 65th Protection Motorized Regiment (), General Staff
* Serb Guard Ilidža (), Sarajevo-Romanija Corps
* White Wolves ()

Organization

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia stated that:

"In July 1995, the Armed Forces of the Republika Srpska were under the command and control of the Commander-in-Chief, Radovan Karadžić. His headquarters was in Pale.

Within the framework of the VRS, immediately subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief, was the Main Staff of the VRS, headquartered in Han Pijesak and commanded by General Ratko Mladić. It was the responsibility of the Commander of the Main Staff to issue regulations, orders and instructions regarding the implementation of orders by the Commander-in-Chief, and to discharge the command duties delegated to him by the Commander-in-Chief. The Main Staff of the VRS consisted of staff officers and staff support personnel, as well as some specialised military units such as the 65th Protection Regiment, designed to provide protection and combat services for the Main Staff; and the 10th Sabotage Detachment, a unit trained for operations behind enemy lines and other special combat assignments.

The vast majority of the fighting force of the VRS itself was divided into six geographically-based Corps, all subordinate to, and under the command of, General Mladić and, in turn, the Commander-in-Chief, Radovan Karadzic. In July 1995, the six Corps were the Drina Corps, the 1st Krajina Corps, the 2nd Krajina Corps, the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps, the Hercegovina Corps and the East Bosnia Corps."

1993

* 1st Krajina Corps – Banja Luka
* 2nd Krajina Corps – Drvar
* 3rd Corps – Bijeljina
* East Bosnia Corps – Han Pijesak
* Herzegovina Corps – Bileća

1995

* 1st Krajina Corps – Banja Luka
* 2nd Krajina Corps – Drvar
* East Bosnia Corps – Bijeljina
* Sarajevo-Romanija Corps – Pale
* Drina Corps – Han Pijesak
* Herzegovina Corps – Bileća

2001

* 1st Corps – Banja Luka
* 3rd Corps – Bijeljina
* 5th Corps – Sokolac
* 7th Corps – Bileća

Equipment

Tanks and armoured vehicles

* M-84
* T-54/T-55
* T-34
* BVP M-80
* OT M-60
* BTR-50
* BOV

Towed artillery

* M-56
* D-30
* M-30
* M-46
* D-20
* M-84
* M1
* ZiS-3

Self-propelled artillery

* 2S1 Gvozdika

MLRS

* M-63 Plamen
* M-77 Oganj
* M-87 Orkan

ATGM

* AT-3 "Sagger" and AT-5 "Konkurs"

Antitank guns

* T-12

Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns (SPAAG)

* ZSU-57-2
* M53/59 Praga
* BOV-3
* ZU-23-2

MANPADs and SAMs

* SA-7
* SA-18
* SA-6
* SA-9

Infantry weapons

Pistols

* Zastava M88
* Zastava M57
* CZ99

Assault rifles

* Zastava M70
* Zastava M80
* Zastava M90

Battle rifles

* Zastava M77 B1

Submachine guns

* Zastava M56
* Zastava M85
* Zastava M92
* Heckler & Koch MP5

Machine guns

* Zastava M53
* Zastava M77
* Zastava M72
* Zastava M84
* Zastava M87
* PKM
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Sniper rifles

* Zastava M76
* Zastava M91

Anti-tank weapons

* M79 Osa
* M80 Zolja

Republika Srpska Air Force

Formerly known as ''Ratno Vazduhoplovstva i Protiv Vazdušna Odbrana Vojske Republike Srpske'' or ''RV i PVO RS''. Beginning on 1 June 2004, the Republika Srpska Air Force was officially called, ''Prvi Puk Vazduhoplovstva i Protiv Vazdušna Odbrana Vojske Republike Srpske'', also known as 1st Aviation Regiment and Air Defence Force of the Republic of Srpska's Army.

See also

* Military ranks of Republika Srpska

References

Books

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Army Of The Republika Srpska

1992 establishments in Bosnia and Herzegovina
2006 disestablishments in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Military of Republika Srpska
Military units and formations established in 1992
Military units and formations disestablished in 2006
Military units and formations of the Bosnian War
Serbian nationalism in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Rebel militia groups