Serbian Army

The Serbian Army (Serbian Cyrillic: Копнена војска Србије, romanized: Kopnena vojska Srbije, lit. 'Serbian Land Army') is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces.

Serbian Army
Копнена војска Србије
Emblem of the Serbian Army
Founded	1830 (current form since 2006)
Country	Serbia
Type	Army
Size	13,200 (2021 est.)^[1]
Part of	Serbian Armed Forces
Command HQ	Niš
Motto(s)	For freedom and honour of the Fatherland (Za slobodu i čast Otadžbine)
Anniversaries	16 November
Engagements	Serbian Revolution Serbian-Turkish Wars (1876–1878) Russo-Turkish War Serbo-Bulgarian War Balkan Wars World War I Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War World War II Yugoslav Wars
Commanders
Current commander	Lt. General Milosav Simović
Army Sergeant Major	Warrant officer 1st class Mladen Pupovac
Notable commanders	Vojvoda Radomir Putnik Vojvoda Stepa Stepanović Vojvoda Živojin Mišić Vojvoda Petar Bojović
Insignia
Flag

History

Main article: History of the Serbian Army

Originally established in 1830 as the Army of Principality of Serbia and after Serbia's independence it subsequently grew in size and was renamed the Royal Serbian Army. After the World War I it was incorporated into the newly established Royal Yugoslav Army which was in turn transformed into Yugoslav Ground Forces of the Yugoslav People's Army after the World War II. The Serbian Army in its current form has been active since 2006 when Serbia restored its independence.

Missions

The Serbian Army is responsible for defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia from foreign hostiles; participating in peacekeeping operations; and providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

The Army i.e. infantry battalions of its 2nd, 3rd and 4th brigades are tasked with securing the 384 kilometers long and 5 km wide Ground Safety Zone along the administrative line between Serbia and Kosovo with over 20 camps and security checkpoints.^[2]

Structure

The Serbian Army consists of six brigades, six independent battalions directly attached to the Army Command, as well as the River Flotilla, the Technical Overhauling Institute and Multinational Operations Training Centre.^[3] The four primary army brigades are composed of as many as ten battalions, including: one command battalion, one armored battalion, two mechanized battalions, two infantry battalions, one self-propelled artillery battalion, one self-propelled multiple rocket launcher artillery battalion, one air-defence battalion, one engineer battalion and one logistics battalion.

 

Serbian Army structure

 

 

10th Comm
18th Eng
19th Log

 

11th Inf
14th A-d Art

 

12th S-p Art
17th Mech

 

111st Inf

 

13th MRL Art
15th Tank
17th Mech

 

20th Comm
23rd S-p Art
25th A-d Art
26th Tank
27th Mech
29th Log
210th Eng

 

21st Inf

 

28th Mech

 

24th S-p Art

 

22nd Inf

 

30th Comm
33rd How Art
34th MRL Art
35th A-d Art
36th Tank
39th Log

 

31st Inf
32nd Inf

 

37th Mech
38th Mech

 

310th Log

 

40th Comm
43rd How Art
45th A-d Art
46th Tank
47th Mech
49th Log
410th Eng

 

41st Inf
42nd Inf
48th Mech

 

44th MRL Art

 

Comm
1st H-C Art
2nd H-C Art
3rd Can Art
4th Can Art
S-p C&H Art
Mix Miss Art
69th Log

 

1st Pont

 

Comm
1st River
2nd River
2nd Pont
Log

 

5th MP

 

2nd River

 

3rd MP
21st Sig
T72 Tank
Arm-Rec

 

246th NBC

 

211st Mnt

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  Army Command attached unit
  1st Brigade   2nd Brigade   3rd Brigade   4th Brigade
  Mixed Artillery Brigade   River Flotilla

•   Army Command
  •   3rd Military Police Battalion (Niš)
  •   5th Military Police Battalion (Belgrade)
  •   246th NBC Battalion (Kruševac)
  •   21st Signal Battalion (Niš)
  • T–72M Tank Battalion (Niš)
  • Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (Niš)
•   1st Brigade
  • 10th Command Battalion (Novi Sad)
  • 11th Infantry Battalion (Pančevo)
  • 12th Self-propelled Artillery Battalion (Bačka Topola)
  • 13th Self-propelled Multiple Rocket Launcher Artillery Battalion (Sremska Mitrovica)
  • 14th Air-defence Artillery Battalion (Pančevo)
  • 15th Tank Battalion (Sremska Mitrovica)
  • 16th Mechanized Battalion (Sremska Mitrovica)
  • 17th Mechanized Battalion (Bačka Topola)
  • 18th Engineer Battalion (Novi Sad)
  • 19th Logistics Battalion (Novi Sad)
  • 111th Infantry Battalion (Loznica)
•   2nd Brigade
  • 20th Command Battalion (Kraljevo)
  • 21st Infantry Battalion (Raška)
  • 22nd Infantry Battalion (Požega)
  • 23rd Self-propelled Artillery Battalion (Kraljevo)
  • 24th Self-propelled Multiple Rocket Launcher Artillery Battalion (Valjevo)
  • 25th Air-defence Artillery Battalion (Kraljevo)
  • 26th Tank Battalion (Kraljevo)
  • 27th Mechanized Battalion (Kraljevo)
  • 28th Mechanized Battalion (Novi Pazar)
  • 29th Logistics Battalion (Kraljevo)
  • 210th Engineer Battalion (Kraljevo)
  • 211th Mountain Battalion (Priboj, in process of formation)^[4]
•   3rd Brigade
  • 30th Command Battalion (Niš)
  • 31st Infantry Battalion (Zaječar)
  • 32nd Infantry Battalion (Zaječar)
  • 33rd Self-propelled Howitzer Artillery Battalion (Niš)
  • 34th Multiple Rocket Launcher Artillery Battalion (Niš)
  • 35th Air-defence Artillery Battalion (Niš)
  • 36th Tank Battalion (Niš)
  • 37th Mechanized Battalion (Kuršumlija)
  • 38th Mechanized Battalion (Kuršumlija)
  • 39th Logistics Battalion (Niš)
  • 310th Engineer Battalion (Prokuplje)
•   4th Brigade
  • 40th Command Battalion (Vranje)
  • 41st Infantry Battalion (Bujanovac, Army Base "Jug")
  • 42nd Infantry Battalion (Bujanovac, Army Base "Jug")
  • 43rd Self-propelled Howitzer Artillery Battalion (Vranje)
  • 44th Self-propelled Multiple Rocket Launcher Artillery Battalion (Leskovac)
  • 45th Air-defence Artillery Battalion (Vranje)
  • 46th Tank Battalion (Vranje)
  • 47th Mechanized Battalion (Vranje)
  • 48th Mechanized Battalion (Bujanovac, Army Base "Jug")
  • 49th Logistics Battalion (Vranje)
  • 410th Engineer Battalion (Vranje)

 

Serbian Army soldiers during 2015 Combined Resolve IV exercise at the US Army Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Germany

 

Serbian Army soldiers during 2018 Slavic Brotherhood exercise at the Russian Army Rayevsky Training Center in Russia

•   Mixed Artillery Brigade
  • Command Battalion (Niš)
  • 1st Howitzer-Cannon Artillery Battalion (Niš)
  • 2nd Howitzer-Cannon Artillery Battalion (Niš)
  • 3rd Cannon Artillery Battalion (Niš)
  • 4th Cannon Artillery Battalion (Niš)
  • Self-propelled Howitzer-Cannon Artillery Battalion (Niš)
  • Mixed Missile Artillery Battalion (Niš)
  • 69th Logistics Battalion (Niš)
•   River Flotilla
  • Command Company (Novi Sad)
  • 1st River Detachment (Novi Sad)
  • 2nd River Detachment (Belgrade)
  • 1st Pontoon Battalion (Šabac)
  • 2nd Pontoon Battalion (Novi Sad)
  • Logistics Company (Novi Sad)
•   Multinational Operations Training Centre
•   Technical Overhauling Institute "Čačak"

Equipment

Main article: List of equipment of the Serbian Armed Forces

 

M-84 main battle tank

 

Lazar armoured personnel carrier

 

Nora B52 self-propelled howitzer

 

PASARS-16 short-range surface-to-air missile system

 

Vessels of the River Flotilla

 

Zastava M21 assault rifle

The following equipment is in operational use as of 2022:

Armored vehicles

• M-84 main battle tank - 212^[5]
• T-72B1MS main battle tank - 30^[6]
• BVP M-80 infantry fighting vehicle - 320
• Lazar armoured personnel carrier - 30 Lazar 3^[7]
• BRDM-2 armoured reconnaissance vehicle - 66 (30 BRDM-2MS; 36 BRDM-2)^[8][9]
• BOV KIV armoured reconnaissance vehicle - 10
• Miloš light armoured vehicle - 20^[10]
• Humvee light armoured vehicle - 40^[11][12]
• BOV M-86 light armoured vehicle - 51 (used by military police)^[9]

Artillery

• Nora B-52 155mm self-propelled howitzer - 18^[13]
• 2S1 Gvozdika 122mm self-propelled howitzer - 72^[9]
• Nora M-84 152mm howitzer - 36^[9]
• M-87 Orkan 262mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher - 4^[9]
• M-77 Oganj 128mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher - 60^[9]
• M-94 Plamen-S 128mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher - 18^[9]
• M74/M75 120mm mortar^[9]

Anti-armour

• BOV Polo M-83 tank destroyer (armed with 9M14T Malyutka missile)^[9]
• 9M14 Malyutka anti-tank missile system^[14]
• 9K111 Fagot anti-tank missile system^[9]
• M80 Zolja anti-tank missile launcher^[9]
• M79 Osa anti-tank missile launcher^[9]

Air-defence

• PASARS-16 short-range surface-to-air missile system (armed with Mistral missiles) - 3 batteries^[15]
• 9K35 Strela-10 short-range surface-to-air missile system - 1 battery^[9]
• 9K31 Strela-1 short-range surface-to-air missile system - 9 batteries^[9]
• Bofors L/70 anti-aircraft gun - 72^[9]
• 9K34 Strela-3 MANPADS^[9]
• 9K32 Strela-2 MANPADS^[9]

Vessels

• Neštin class minesweeper - 4
• Type 20 Biscaya class river patrol craft - 3
• Type 22 441 class landing crafts - 5
• RPČ 111 patrol vessel - 1
• River patrol boats - 4
• Tanker - 1
• Degaussing vessel - 1
• Command ship - 1
• RIB 720 rigid inflatable boat - 10

Firearms

• Zastava CZ99 pistol^[9]
• Zastava M19 assault rifle
• Zastava M21 assault rifle^[9]
• Zastava M70 assault rifle^[9]
• Zastava M84 machine gun^[9]
• Zastava M72 light machine gun^[9]
• Zastava M93 anti-material rifle^[9]
• Zastava M91 sniper rifle^[9]

Ranks

Main article: Military ranks of Serbia

Officers

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Serbian Army^[16] v t e
			Генерал General		Генерал-потпуковник General-potpukovnik		Генерал-мајор General-major		Бригадни генерал Brigadni general		Пуковник Pukovnik		Потпуковник Potpukovnik		Мајор Major		Капетан прве класе Kapetan prve klase	Капетан Kapetan	Поручник Poručnik			Потпоручник Potporučnik
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet

Enlisted

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Serbian Army^[16] v t e																																			No insignia
	Заставник I класе Zastavnik I klase						Заставник Zastavnik		Старији Водник I класе Stariji Vodnik I klase		Старији Водник Stariji Vodnik						Водник Vodnik						Млађи водник Mlađi vodnik				Десетар Desetar		Разводник Razvodnik						Војник Vojnik
Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted

See also

• Royal Serbian Army
• Royal Yugoslav Army
• Yugoslav Ground Forces
• Ground Forces of Serbia and Montenegro

References

1. "Brojnost vojski Srbije, Hrvatske, BiH, Crne Gore i Severne Makedonije u 2021". December 28, 2021.
2. . Blic Online. January 20, 2009. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009.
3. "The Army | Serbian Armed Forces". www.vs.rs. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
4. "Formira se brdsko-planinski bataljon u Priboju: Posao za nekoliko stotina mladih vojnika". B92.net (in Serbian). Retrieved March 9, 2023.
5. "Oklopne jedinice Vojske Srbije".
6. Srna (December 2, 2017). "Srbija od Rusije dobija 30 tenkova". Nezavisne novine (in Serbian). Retrieved May 8, 2019.
7. "[PARTNER 2021] Sve o oklopnim premijerama, modernizacijama i modifikacijama". October 22, 2021.
8. "Vojsci Srbije isporučeno 30 tenkova i oklopnih automobila iz ruske donacije".
9. . Serbian Armed Forces. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
10. "Стефановић о набавци "корнета": Србија сада има убојито оружје".
11. . Serbian Armed Forces. February 7, 2013. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
12. "Stefanović o nabavci "korneta": Srbija sada ima ubojito oružje".
13. "Stefanović o nabavci "korneta": Srbija sada ima ubojito oružje".
14. . Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
15. "[PARTNER 2021] Novi i unapređeni PVO sistemi". October 28, 2021.
16. "ЧИНОВИ У ВОЈСЦИ СРБИЈЕ". vs.rs (in Serbian). Serbian Armed Forces. Retrieved June 7, 2021.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Army of Serbia.

• Official website
• Official website of the Ministry of Defence of Serbia