The Serbian Army of Krajina (SAK, , 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.
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.
Personnel 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. According to the General Staff in 1994: 62,805 (2,890 officers, 4,329 non-commissioned officers and 55,886 soldiers). According to General Milisav Sekulić: 71,409 (3,291 officers, 3,424 non-commissioned officers and 60,496 soldiers).
Organization The wartime organization of the Serbian Army of Krajina was structured around a centralized Main Staff that commanded several strategic support units and seven operational corps. As detailed in military documentation, the established order of battle was as follows:
Main Staff of the Serbian Army of Krajina 105th Aviation Brigade 44th Air Defense Rocket Brigade 75th Mixed Artillery Brigade 2nd Guards Motorized Brigade
Corps Special Forces Corps – Slunj 7th North Dalmatian Corps – Knin 15th Lika Corps – Korenica 21st Kordun Corps – Vojnić 39th Banija Corps – Petrinja 18th Western Slavonian Corps – Okučani 11th Eastern Slavonian Corps – Borovo Selo
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.
Name Type Origin Notes Tanks T-34 Medium tank Soviet Union T-55 Main battle tank Soviet Union M-84 Main battle tank Yugoslavia ~30 Armoured fighting vehicles BVP M-80 Infantry fighting vehicle Yugoslavia OT M-60 Armoured personnel carrier Yugoslavia M-60P variant used. Armoured trains Krajina Express Armoured train Republic of Serbian Krajina
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.
Name Type Origin Caliber Notes Towed artillery 76 mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3) Field gun Soviet Union 76 mm M-56 Howitzer Howitzer Yugoslavia 105 mm 122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30) Howitzer Soviet Union 122 mm 122 mm gun M1931/37 (A-19) Field gun Soviet Union 122 mm 130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46) Field gun Soviet Union 130 mm M-65 Howitzer Howitzer Yugoslavia 155 mm Yugoslav copy of the M114 155 mm howitzer. Multiple rocket launchers M-63 Plamen Multiple rocket launcher Yugoslavia 128 mm
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. Recoilless guns M60 Recoilless gun Yugoslavia 82 mm M65 Recoilless gun Yugoslavia 105 mm Anti-tank guns MT-12 Anti-tank gun Soviet Union 100 mm 30 in service in 1995.
Aircraft
In 1995, the IISS estimated that the SVK had 16 fixed-wing combat aircraft and 9 helicopters in service.
Name Type Origin Notes Fixed-wing aircraft SOKO G-2 Galeb Trainer / Light attack Yugoslavia SOKO J-22 Orao Attack Yugoslavia Helicopters SOKO Gazelle Utility Yugoslavia License-built version of the Aérospatiale Gazelle. Mil Mi-8 Transport Soviet Union
Air defence
Name Type Origin Caliber Notes Anti-aircraft guns Zastava M55 Anti-aircraft gun Yugoslavia 20 mm The M75 variant was also used. M-53/59 Praga Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun Czechoslovakia 30 mm ZSU-57-2 Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun Soviet Union 57 mm
Gallery
War crimes
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.
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, Milan Babić was sentenced to 13 years, while Goran Hadžić died shortly after their trial started.
See also Army of Republika Srpska
References
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