Serbian Army of Krajina

The Serbian Army of Krajina (SAK, Serbo-Croatian: Srpska vojska Krajine, Српска војска Крајине, abbr. SVK), also known as the Army of the Republic of Serbian Krajina or Krajina Serbian Army, was the armed forces of the Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK). The SVK consisted of ground and air elements.

Serbian Army of Krajina
Српска Војска Крајине Srpska Vojska Krajine
Officer emblem of SVK, 1993–1995
Military leader	Mile Novaković Milan Čeleketić Mile Mrkšić
Foundation	October 17, 1992
Dates of operation	1992–1995
Dissolved	August 7, 1995
Allegiance	Serbian Krajina
Headquarters	Knin
Size	30,000[1]
Battles and wars	Croatian War of Independence Eastern Slavonia Front Operation Medak Pocket Operation Maslenica Operation Steel '93 [sr] Operation Summer '95 Operation Flash Operation Storm Bosnian War Operation Corridor 92 Operation Shield 94 Operation Spider Operation Sword–1
Colors	(Serbian tricolour)
War flag

Created through the merger of the Territorial Defense of the Republic of Serbian Krajina (TORSK), units of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and the Krajina Militia, the SVK 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 SVK, along with the state of RSK, ceased to exist in 1995 following the Croatian military offensive Operation Storm.

Organization

Commanders-in-Chief

No.	Portrait	Commander-in-Chief	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party
1		Babić, MilanMilan Babić (1956–2006)	19 December 1991	16 February 1992	1 month		SDS
2		Hadžić, GoranGoran Hadžić (1958–2016)	26 February 1992	12 December 1993	1 year, 9 months		SDS
(1)		Babić, MilanMilan Babić (1956–2006)	12 December 1993	23 January 1994	1 month		SDS
3		Martić, MilanMilan Martić (born 1954)	23 January 1994	7 August 1995	1 year, 6 months		SPS

Commanders

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

Structure

Main article: Main Staff of the Serbian Army of Krajina

Territorial organization of SVK

Corporal emblem of SVK, 1993–1995

Uniform of SVK

• 105th Aviation Brigade
• 44th Air defense rocket brigade
• 75th Mixed artillery brigade
• "Pauk" Operational Group
• 2nd Guards Motorized Brigade
• Special forces corps
• 7th Dalmatia (Dalmatinski) corps
• 15th Lika (Lički) corps
• 21st Kordun (Bordunski) 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.^[2]
• According to the General Staff in 1994: 62,805 (2,890 officers, 4,329 non-commissioned officers and 55,886 soldiers).^[3]
• According to General Milisav Sekulić: 71,409 (3,291 officers, 3,424 non-commissioned officers and 60,496 soldiers).^[3]

Equipment

Vehicles

In 1995, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) estimated that the SVK had a total of 250 tanks and 100 armoured personnel carriers.^[4]

Name	Type	Origin	Notes
Tanks
T-34	Medium tank	Soviet Union	[4]
T-55	Main battle tank	Soviet Union	[4]
M-84	Main battle tank	Yugoslavia	[4]
Armoured fighting vehicles
BVP M-80	Infantry fighting vehicle	Yugoslavia	[4]
OT M-60	Armoured personnel carrier	Yugoslavia	M-60P variant used.[4]
Armoured trains
Krajina Express	Armoured train	Republic of Serbian Krajina	[5]

Artillery

In 1995, the IISS estimated that the SVK had a total of 200 pieces of artillery of varied calibers, 14 multiple rocket launchers, and an unknown number of 81 mm, 82 mm, and 120 mm mortars.^[4]

Name	Type	Origin	Caliber	Notes
Towed artillery
76 mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3)	Field gun	Soviet Union	76 mm	[4]
M-56 Howitzer	Howitzer	Yugoslavia	105 mm	[4]
122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30)	Howitzer	Soviet Union	122 mm	[4]
122 mm gun M1931/37 (A-19)	Field gun	Soviet Union	122 mm	[4]
130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)	Field gun	Soviet Union	130 mm	[4]
M-65 Howitzer[4]	Howitzer	Yugoslavia	155 mm	Yugoslav copy of the M114 155 mm howitzer.[6]
Multiple rocket launchers
M-63 Plamen	Multiple rocket launcher	Yugoslavia	128 mm	[4]

Anti-tank

Name	Type	Origin	Caliber	Notes
Anti-tank missiles
9M14 Malyutka	Anti-tank guided missile	Soviet Union	125 mm	Also mounted on BOV-1s.[4]
Recoilless guns
M60	Recoilless gun	Yugoslavia	82 mm	[4]
M65	Recoilless gun	Yugoslavia	105 mm	[4]
Anti-tank guns
MT-12	Anti-tank gun	Soviet Union	100 mm	30 in service in 1995.[4]

Aircraft

In 1995, the IISS estimated that the SVK had 16 fixed-wing combat aircraft and 9 helicopters in service.^[4]

Name	Type	Origin	Notes
Fixed-wing aircraft
SOKO G-2 Galeb	Trainer / Light attack	Yugoslavia	[4]
SOKO J-22 Orao	Attack	Yugoslavia	[4]
Helicopters
SOKO Gazelle[4]	Utility	Yugoslavia	License-built version of the Aérospatiale Gazelle.[7]
Mil Mi-8	Transport	Soviet Union	[4]

Air defence

Name	Type	Origin	Caliber	Notes
Anti-aircraft guns
Zastava M55	Anti-aircraft gun	Yugoslavia	20 mm	The M75 variant was also used.[4]
M-53/59 Praga	Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun	Czechoslovakia	30 mm	[4]
ZSU-57-2	Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun	Soviet Union	57 mm	[4]

Gallery

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

War crimes

Main article: List of massacres in the Croatian War of Independence

During the Croatian War of Independence, numerous massacres were conducted by the Army of Serbian Krajina. On 2–3 May 1995, seven civilians were killed and many more injured in the Zagreb rocket attacks.^[8][9][10]

The main leaders of the Serbian Army of Krajina, Milan Martić, Milan Babić and Goran Hadžić, were indicted and trialled by the ICTY for various war crimes and crimes against humanity. Milan Martić was sentenced to 35 years in prison,^[11][12] Milan Babić was sentenced to 13 years,^[13] while Goran Hadžić died shortly after their trial started.^[14][15][16]

See also

• Army of Republika Srpska