The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA/), also called the Yugoslav National Army, was the military of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and its antecedents from its founding in 1945 to its breakup in 1992. The branches consisted of the Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force and Territorial Defense.
The President of the Republic (the Presidency after Tito's death) acted as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, while administration and defence policy was carried out by the Government through the Ministry of Defence. The highest operational authority, in charge of the deployment and preparation of the armed forces in peace and war, was the General Staff. Military service was compulsory for all men.
Following the disintegration of the state, the JNA ceased to exist in 1992 amidst the conflicts of the Yugoslav Wars, and the units stationed in their respective republics formed their owned respective armed forces, while the remnants of the JNA in Serbia and Montenegro, became part of the new Yugoslav Army.
Origins The military was formed in March 1945 as the Yugoslav Army on the organizational framework of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia (NOVJ), the anti-fascist resistance movement which liberated the country from the Axis powers during World War II in Yugoslavia. It was renamed Yugoslav People's Army on 22 December 1951, the tenth anniversary of the 1st Proletarian Brigade's establishment. This date was officially celebrated as the "Day of the Army" in the Federative People's Republic of Yugoslavia, later the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FPR / SFR Yugoslavia).
The support the Soviets had within JNA ranks during the Informbiro period, after 1948, is contested. Low-end estimates indicate that 10–15% of the army's personnel favoured the Soviet position. Yugoslav sources estimate the number of military members arrested ranged from 4,153 officers and soldiers (estimated by Radonjić), to 7,000 imprisoned officers estimated by Milovan Đilas. The purge included 22 officers in the presidential guard regiment reporting directly to Josip Broz Tito, including Momčilo Đurić, wartime commander of the Yugoslav Partisan Supreme Headquarters escort battalion. During this period of Soviet blockade, the Yugoslav Army's development stagnated.
Forty-nine Yugoslav Army graduates of the General Staff Academy, the Frunze Academy, and other Soviet military academies were deemed potential Soviet supporters. Many of those attending such academies in the USSR at the time of the Tito–Stalin split never returned to Yugoslavia.
The split particularly affected the Air Force. Almost all Air Force officers had Soviet training, and some of them fled Yugoslavia in Air Force planes. The defectors included Major General Pero Popivoda, who was the head of the Air Force operational service. The Batajnica, Zemun, and Pančevo airbases near Belgrade saw several attacks by groups of saboteurs. The Zemun airbase commander and his deputy fled to Romania.
Between 1948 and 1955, the United States gave Yugoslavia US$600 million in direct military grants and an equal amount in economic aid, enabling Yugoslavia to devote more of its domestic resources to defence. After two visits to the United States by Colonel General Koča Popović and Colonel General Milo Kilibarda in May–June and August 1951, respectively, U.S. weaponry began arriving by late 1951. By 1952 the Armed Forces had grown to 500,000 troops, and defence expenditures consumed 22 percent of the gross national product. A Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) of 30 officers commanded by Brigadier General John W. HarmonyLieutenant Colonel M.N. Kadick, "How Strong is Tito's Army?," Combat Forces Journal, May 1952. was established by the United States in Belgrade in 1951. It operated for ten years, disbursing military grants and arranging another US$1 billion in arms sales on favorable terms. Among weapons transferred were 599 M-4A3 tanks, 319 M-47 tanks, 715 M-7, M-18, and M-36 self-propelled guns, 565 M-3A1 and M-8 armored cars, and a total of 760 105mm, 155mm, and 203mm artillery pieces. The artillery pieces delivered were used to reequip artillery units within Yugoslavia's eight divisions.
Task and command structure Under the constitution and laws of SFR Yugoslavia, the Yugoslav People's Army was a part of the armed forces with the Territorial Defense as the joint armed forces of all working people and citizens of Yugoslavia. The main task of the Yugoslav People's Army was to protect the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and social organization of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Though the Presidency of Yugoslavia was the supreme commander of the armed forces and in command of Yugoslav People's Army, some duties from the presidency could be given to the Secretary of Defence. The Secretary of Defence was the officer with the highest military rank that could command the armed forces, including the Yugoslav People's Army and Territorial Defense. The President of Yugoslavia had the power to promote members of the military to the highest military ranks such as general or admiral, and to relieve duty of the highest military officers. The Chief of Staff of the Yugoslav People's Army, in the case that the Secretary of Defense was prevented or absent to fulfill his function, was formally his deputy who could take command of the armed forces. In 1987, under decree of the Presidency of Yugoslavia, the General Staff of the JNA was renamed to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Yugoslavia, thus effectively giving command of JNA and the TO to one military body in order to more efficiently command the armed forces in case of war, according to the law of "All-people's defense" from 1982.
Organization
Structure and organization (late 1980s – early 1990s) In the mid-1980s, plans were made under a formal top-secret strategic and operational plan named "Jedinstvo" for a structural change from republic armies and divisions to military districts and brigades to allow for easier federal consolidation of the republics' territorial armies, particularly in the case of a crisis. Because of internal and external security changes during that time, "Jedinstvo" was later modeled in three parts: "Jedinstvo 1", "Jedinstvo 2", and "Jedinstvo 3", starting from 1987 (with a planned completion date of 1995) for the JNA to start major reform.
The first part of the JNA's major overhaul under "Jedinstvo 1" had its basic force structure nearly completed in 1989. Wartime manpower was planned to be reduced to about 1 million, while peacetime strength was limited to 299,057 personnel, including officers, soldiers and civilian workers. Equipment purchases were not fully realized.
After "Jedinstvo 1", the JNA consisted of the Ground Forces, Air Force and Navy. Under the "Jedinstvo" plan, the army's structure would be reorganized into four major military regions (Vojne Oblasti) under command of the Federal Secretariat of People's Defence (SSNO) – These military regions were further divided into corps, brigades, garrisons and smaller sectors that were responsible for administrative tasks such as draft registration, mobilization, and construction and maintenance of military facilities. The regions were:
The first military region with headquarters in Belgrade (responsible for eastern Croatia, northern and central parts of Serbia and parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina) The second military region with headquarters in Zagreb (Slovenia and northern Croatia) The third military region with headquarters in Skopje (Macedonia, Southern Serbia and Montenegro) The military-naval region "Vojnopomorska Oblast" with its headquarters in Split. Military-Naval Region included parts of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro – almost all Yugoslavia coastline. It had subdivisions on three sectors including flotilla and one corps.
Directly under SSNO were the Guard's motorized brigade, school centers, three SIGNAL regiments, a light anti-aircraft artillery regiment, and a few independent battalions and divisions.
In the "Jedinstvo 1" reforms, JNA eliminated most of its old divisional infantry organization and established the brigade and corps structure with some independent units under direct command of SSNO. Territorial defense was also changed and laws and the constitution were amended to address those changes. The Ground Forces "converted ten of twelve infantry divisions into twenty-nine tank, mechanized and mountain infantry brigades with integral artillery, air defense and anti-tank regiments under corps structure. One airborne brigade was organized before 1990. The shift to brigade-level organization provided greater operational flexibility, maneuverability, and 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." In 1989, five independent divisions under general staff command and 25 partisan (reserve) divisions under corps command were formed including many other battalions, regiments and batteries under different commands.
The 1989 plan "Jedinstvo 2" commenced and border battalions were transferred under corps command including some divisions that have remained before under others commands. Brigades got some artillery and antiaircraft batteries under their direct command that helped them to gain independence in wartime from higher levels. Defense of all major cities was previously planned with separate units but under "Jedinstvo 2" only Belgrade and Zagreb retained separated units for defense of their cities.
There were usually three classes of brigades, regiments and battalions: A. class B. class R. class
A. class brigades and battalions were more than 60 to up to 100% manned, and B. class units had 15–60% manpower. R. class units were reserved with about 15–20% and was manned mostly in their logistic units and commands. Battalions with A. class status were 100% manned and equipped. A. class brigades had a brigade HQ and 4 battalions and B class brigade had 2–3 battalions with HQ.
The "Jedinstvo 3" plan started in 1990. To the military leadership of the JNA, it was obvious that USSR was moving to defend its internal borders and the only global superpower left was the USA. It was then agreed in JNA that potential for aggression from the Warsaw Pact had diminished but potential aggression from NATO had increased. The new plan "Jedinstvo 3" included changes to organize better defenses from new perceived external threats. The plan required the building of smaller but more modernized forces with highly mobile units. Corps closer to the border would have two A. class brigades including an artillery regiment of A. class, an anti-armor regiment of B. class and an engineering battalion of A class. Corps deeper inside country would have one brigade of A. or B. class.
Under "Jedinstvo 3" every corps in the Air Force should have one support aviation brigade, one fighter wing, one Air Surveillance, Early Warning and Guidance regiment, 1–2 rocket brigades or regiments and rest up to possibilities to equip.
Under "Jedinstvo 2", the JNA on 1 January 1990 had: 5 divisions – 2 R. and 3 B. class 23 partisans divisions of R. class 72 partisans brigade of R. class 20 infantry brigades – 2 A., 10 B. and 8 R. class 17 infantry regiments – 5 B. 12. R. class 7 hill brigades – 3 B. 4 R. class 1 mountain brigade B. class 32 motorized brigades – 4 A., 21 B. and 7. R. class 2 marines infantries brigades B. class 1 Guards motorized brigade A. class 6 Armor brigades of B. class 11 Guards Mechanized brigades – 7. A. class, 3. B. class and 1 R. class 1 artillery rocket brigade B. class 6 mixed artillery brigades B. class 5 mixed anti-armor artillery brigades B. class