Slovenian Ground Force

The Slovenian Ground Force is the primary component of Slovenian Armed Forces.

Slovenian Ground Forces
Slovenska vojska
Emblem of the Slovenian army
Active	1991–1993 (as the Slovene Territorial Defense Forces), 1993–present
Country	Slovenia
Type	Ground army
Role	Defending Slovene territory
Equipment	56 MBTs, 380 IFVs and APCs, 240+ Artillery pieces
Engagements	Slovenian War of Independence Global War on Terrorism: War in Afghanistan & Iraq War EUFOR Tchad/RCA^[1] Kosovo Force (KFOR) For engagements of the navy detachment see: Slovenian Navy
Commanders
Commander in Chief	Nataša Pirc Musar

History

The current Slovenian Armed Forces are descended from the Territorial Defense of the Republic of Slovenia (Teritorialna Obramba Republike Slovenije; TORS), which was formed in 1968 as a paramilitary complement to the regular army of the former Yugoslav within the territory of Slovenia. The main objectives of TORS were to support the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and conduct guerrilla operations in the event of an invasion.^{[citation needed]}

When Slovenia declared independence at the onset of the Yugoslav Wars in 1991, the TORS and the Slovenian police comprised the majority of forces engaging the JNA during the Ten-Day War. The Slovenian Armed Forces were formally established in 1993 as a reorganization of the TORS.^{[citation needed]}

Current equipment

Small arms

 

A Slovene soldier with an FN F2000 assault rifle

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Caliber or cartridge	Details
Handguns
Beretta 92FS		Italy	Semi-automatic pistol	9×19mm Parabellum	Standard handgun of the Slovenian Army.^[2]
Pistol Rex Zero-1 S FDE		Slovenia	Semi-automatic pistol	9×19mm Parabellum	Used by Slovenian special forces.^[3]
SIG Sauer P226		Switzerland	Semi-automatic pistol	9×19mm Parabellum	Used by officers and special forces.^[4]
Submachine guns
Heckler & Koch MP5		Germany	Submachine gun	9×19mm Parabellum	Used by Slovenian Military Police and special units.^[5]
Shotguns
Benelli M4		Italy	Pump action shotgun	12 gauge	Semi-automatic shotgun
Carbine
M59 PAP		Yugoslavia	Carbine	7.62×39mm	Used by Slovenian Ceremonial Honor Guard.
Assault rifles and battle rifles
FN F2000S		Belgium	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	Standard service rifle. Will be replaced by FN SCAR.^[6]
Heckler & Koch HK416		Germany	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	Used by Rdeči Panterji.^[6]
Zastava M70		Yugoslavia	Assault rifle	7.62×39mm	Used by reserve soldiers.^[7]
FN SCAR		Belgium	Battle rifle	7.62×51mm NATO	Future standard service rifle. Scar H and L are used by Slovenian Special forces (ESD) .^[6]
Machine guns
FN Minimi Para		Belgium	Light machine gun	5.56×45mm NATO	Standard issue light machine gun.^[8]
FN MAG		Belgium	General-purpose machine gun	7.62×51mm NATO	Standard issue medium machine gun.^[9]
M2HB		Belgium	Heavy machine gun	12.7×99mm NATO	M2HB QCB variant manufactured by FN Herstal.^[10]
Sniper rifle
Steyr SSG 69		Austria	Bolt action sniper rifle	7.62×51mm NATO	Bolt-action sniper rifle.^[5]
Sako TRG		Finland	Bolt action sniper rifle	7.62×51mm NATO	Bolt-action sniper rifle.^[5]
PGM Ultima Ratio		France	Bolt action sniper rifle	7.62×51mm NATO	Sniper rifle.^[11]
PGM Mini Hecate		France	Bolt action sniper rifle	.338 Lapua Magnum	Medium sniper rifle.^[12]
PGM Hécate II		France	Bolt action sniper rifle	12.7×99mm NATO	Heavy sniper rifle.^[13]
Grenade launchers
Heckler & Koch GMG		Germany	Automatic grenade launcher	40x53mm HV	^[14]
GL1		Belgium	Grenade launcher	40×46 mm LV	^[15]
Anti-tank warfare
Spike LR		Israel	Anti-tank guided missile	170mm	^[16]
RGW 90		Germany	Disposable recoilless gun	90mm
Carl Gustav M4		Sweden	Reusable recoillesss rifle	84mm	Recoilless anti tank weapon which will replace the RGW 90. Bought with different types of ammunition from high explosive anti tank to dual purpose.^[citation needed]
Man-portable air-defense systems
Igla-S		Russia	Man-portable air-defense system	72mm	^[17]

Artillery

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Caliber	Number	Notes
Artillery
Soltam M71 (M839) TN90		Israel	Towed howitzer	155 mm L/39	18	^[18]^[19]
Soltam K6 MN 9		Israel	Heavy mortar	120 mm	50	^[20]^[19]

Tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and armoured personnel carriers

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Number	Notes
Tanks
M-84A4 Sniper		Yugoslavia   Slovenia	Main battle tank	54	13-20 in active use 34-41 in reserve status. All were upgraded to M-84A4 Sniper standard by 2008.^[21]^[22]
Armoured personnel carriers
SKOV Svarun Impro		Finland   Slovenia	Armoured personnel carrier	30	30 vehicles delivered according to a Settlement Agreement with Patria.^[23]^[21]^[24] 20 equipped with Protector rcws
Valuk Improved Pandur		Austria   Slovenia	Multi-role armoured fighting vehicle	65	65 vehicles in service. 19 of them in the 20th Infantry Regiment.^[25]^[21]^[26] Variants: Armoured personnel carrier Ambulance Mortar carrier (CARDOM 120mm) Scout / reconnaissance armed with a Rafael OWS-25 turret (M242 Bushmaster + BGM-71 TOW)20 were donated to Ukraine in 2023.
BOV		Slovenia	Armoured fighting vehicle	(?)	Used by Slovenian Military Police. Small numbers in service.

Other vehicles

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Number	Notes
Reconnaissance vehicles
Otokar Cobra		Turkey	Reconnaissance vehicle	10	Nuclear, biological, chemical reconnaissance vehicle.^[21]^[27]
Light multi-role vehicles
Oshkosh L-ATV		United States	Light multi-role vehicle	75 (+86 on order for a total of 161)^[28]	Batch 1: 24 Ordered in 2018, delivered in May 2021.^[29] Batch 2: 14 Complementary order in February 2020 for 14 additional although not disclosed.^[30] Batch 3: 37 Ordered in September 2021. By 2023, 75 delivered.^[31] Batch 4: 39 Donated by the USA in a Ringtausch agreement for the Slovenian equipment donated to Ukraine.^[31] Batch 5: 47 Ordered in December 2022^[30] 86 vehicles remaining on order. Deliveries to take place in 2024 and 2025. Will be armed with RCWS Protector RS4 which is equipped with:^[32]^[33]^[28] M2 Browning (12.7 mm NATO) H&K GMG (40 mm grenade) Spike LR
Humvee		United States	Light multi-role vehicle	30	M1114 and M1152 variants. Will be gradually replaced by Oshkosh L-ATV.^[citation needed] 20 units sent to Ukraine.^[34]
MRAPs
Cougar JERRV		United States	MRAP	7	Used by EOD units.^[35]^[36]
Military light utility vehicles
Mercedes-Benz G-Class		Germany	Military light utility vehicle		^[37]^[26]
Achleitner MMV Survivor		Japan	Military light utility vehicle	91	A modified Toyota Land Cruiser for military missions. Will be delivered at the end of 2018.^[38]
Military trucks
MAN 15 TMILGL W A1		Germany	Military truck		The vehicle is intended for transport of material and technical assets (MTS), mainly ammunition and mines.^[39]
HX 8x8 RMMV RHEINMETALL		Germany	Transport and water trucks	40	In exchange for sending 28 Slovenian M55S tanks (upgraded T-55 tanks) to Ukraine, Germany handed over 40 MAN HX 8×8 RMMV trucks to Slovenia in December 2022.^[40]
Mercedes-Benz Actros		Germany	Military truck		The vehicle is intended for transport of material and technical means (MTS) and personnel.^[41]
Iveco T-series		Italy	Military truck		The vehicle is intended for transport of material and technical means (MTS) and personnel.^[42]^[43]^[44]^[45]
Unimog		Germany	Military truck	30	The vehicle is intended for transport of material and technical means (MTS) and special vehicle with superstructure. The vehicle is equipped with a roof lining, which allows infantry weapons to be installed.^[46]
TAM 150 T11 B/BV		Yugoslavia	Military truck		The vehicle is intended for transport of material and technical means (MTS), also used as water/fuel tank vehicle, as decontamination vehicle and special vehicle with superstructure.^[47]
TAM 110 T7 B/BV		Yugoslavia	Military truck		Mainly used for towing mortars.^[48]
Armoured recovery vehicles
JVBT-55		Czechoslovakia	Armoured recovery vehicle	7	^[49]
VT-55		Czechoslovakia	Armoured recovery vehicle	2	^[21]
Armoured vehicle-launched bridges
MT-55		Czechoslovakia	Armoured vehicle-launched bridge	4	^[50]

Future equipment

Equipment	Image	Origin	Type	Number	Notes
Small arms
Spike LR2		Israel   Germany	ATGM	50	Ordered in September 2022 to Eurospike for €6.67 million ^[51] (range 5.5 km) Those will equip the JLTV on the RCWS Protector RS4
Reconnaissance vehicles
8x8 Armoured fighting vehicle		Switzerland   Italy   Poland   Finland	APC	Up to 106	€700 million after rejecting the contract for the Boxer. The finalists of the competition are the Piranha V, the Freccia, the Rosomak L and the Patria AMV^XP.^[52]
Air Defence
IRIS-T SLM		Germany	SAM system	1 unit	Contract signed in January for €147 million. The purchase order includes one fire unit, consisting of the components radar, tactical operations center and four missile launchers as well as IRIS-T SL guided missiles and logistic support.

Former equipment

Stored equipment

• 10× 9M111 Fagot anti-tank guided missile^{[citation needed]}
• 8× 2S1 Gvozdika 122 mm self-propelled howitzer^{[citation needed]}
• 9× Roland II surface-to-air missile (2 units reportedly still in use with Cerklje ob Krki Airport air defense, rest stored with missiles demolished)^{[citation needed]}
• 5× BRDM-2 (reportedly used by command company of 44th Armored-mechanized Battalion "Wolves")^{[citation needed]}
• Large quantities of M69 mortar and M57 Mortar, some used by reserve forces.^{[citation needed]}

Retired equipment

 

Slovenian 9M111 Fagot anti-tank guided missile

• 9K11 Malyutka anti-tank guided missile^{[citation needed]}
• 6× Strela 1M^{[citation needed]}
• 12× BOV 3^{[citation needed]}
• 12× ZSU-57-2^{[citation needed]}
• 30× M48B1 76 mm towed gun^{[citation needed]}
• 4× M-63 Plamen Multiple rocket launcher system^{[citation needed]}
• 24× M53/59 Praga^{[citation needed]}
• 8× PT 76B^{[citation needed]}
• 52x BVP M-80A - Slovenia donated 35 BVP M-80As to Ukraine in June 2022, some in Pivka museum
• 30x M-55S - Slovenia donated 28 M55S to Ukraine, 1 in Pivka museum, 1 in Maribor museum
• 18× M2A1 105 mm towed howitzer 16 donated to Ukraine.^{[citation needed]}

References

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