The Serbian Armed Forces ( sr, Војска Србије, Vojska Srbije) is the
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
of
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
.
The
President of Serbia
The president of Serbia ( sr, Председник Србије, Predsednik Srbije), officially styled as the President of the Republic ( sr, Председник Републике, Predsednik Republike) is the head of state of Serbia.
The curr ...
acts as
commander-in-chief of the armed forces, while administration and defence policy is carried out by the
Government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
through the
Ministry of Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
. The highest operational authority, in-charge of the deployment and preparation of the armed forces in peace and war, is the
General Staff
A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...
.
Military service
Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription).
Some nations (e.g., Mexico) require a ...
is voluntary, though
conscription
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
may occur in wartime. As of 2022,
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
is ranked 61 of 140 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review.
The Serbian Armed Forces consists of two branches:
Serbian Army
The Serbian Army ( sr-cyr, Копнена војска Србије, Kopnena vojska Srbije, lit=Serbian Land Army) is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces.
History
Originally established in 1830 as the Army of Pr ...
and
Serbian Air Force and Air Defence
The Serbian Air Force and Air Defence ( sr-Cyrl, Ратно ваздухопловство и противваздухопловна одбрана Војске Србије, Ratno vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazduhoplovna odbrana Vojske Srbije, Wa ...
.
History
Serbia has a long military tradition dating to early medieval period. The modern Serbian military dates back to the
Serbian Revolution
The Serbian Revolution ( sr, Српска револуција / ''Srpska revolucija'') was a national uprising and constitutional change in Serbia that took place between 1804 and 1835, during which this territory evolved from an Ottoman prov ...
which started in 1804 with the
First Serbian Uprising
The First Serbian Uprising ( sr, Prvi srpski ustanak, italics=yes, sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; tr, Birinci Sırp Ayaklanması) was an uprising of Serbs in the Sanjak of Smederevo against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 18 ...
against
the Ottoman occupation of Serbia. The victories in the battles of
Ivankovac (1805),
Mišar (August 1806),
Deligrad
Deligrad, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (Jabukovac
) is a village in the municipality of Aleksinac, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in S ...
(December 1806) and
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
(November–December 1806), led to the establishment of the
Principality of Serbia
The Principality of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, Књажество Србија, Knjažestvo Srbija) was an autonomous state in the Balkans that came into existence as a result of the Serbian Revolution, which lasted between 1804 and 1817. Its creation was ...
in 1817. The subsequent
Second Serbian Uprising
The Second Serbian Uprising ( sr, Други српски устанак / ''Drugi srpski ustanak'', tr, İkinci Sırp Ayaklanması) was the second phase of the Serbian Revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which erupted shortly after the re ...
of 1815–1817 led to full independence and recognition of the
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Princi ...
and weakened the
Ottoman dominance in the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
. In November 1885 the
Serbo-Bulgarian War
The Serbo-Bulgarian War or the Serbian–Bulgarian War ( bg, Сръбско-българска война, ''Srăbsko-bălgarska voyna'', sr, Српско-бугарски рат, ''Srpsko-bugarski rat'') was a war between the Kingdom of Serb ...
occurred following
Bulgarian unification
The Unification of Bulgaria ( bg, Съединение на България, ''Saedinenie na Balgariya'') was the act of unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and the province of Eastern Rumelia in the autumn of 1885. It was co-ordinated ...
and resulted in a Bulgarian victory. In 1912 the
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...
(1912–1913) erupted between the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
and the
Balkan League
The League of the Balkans was a quadruple alliance formed by a series of bilateral treaties concluded in 1912 between the Eastern Orthodox kingdoms of Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, and directed against the Ottoman Empire, which at the ...
(Serbia, Greece, Montenegro and Bulgaria). Balkan League victories in the
Battle of Kumanovo
The Battle of Kumanovo ( sr, / , tr, Kumanova Muharebesi), on 23–24 October 1912, was a major battle of the First Balkan War. It was an important Serbian victory over the Ottoman army in the Kosovo Vilayet, shortly after the outbreak of ...
(October 1912), the
Battle of Prilep
The Battle of Prilep in the First Balkan War took place on 3-5 November 1912 when the Serbian army encountered Ottoman troops near the town of Prilep, in today's North Macedonia. The clash lasted for three days. Eventually the Ottoman army w ...
(November 1912), the
Battle of Monastir
The Battle of Monastir took place near the town of Bitola, Macedonia (then known as Monastir) during the First Balkan War, between Serbian and Ottoman forces from 16 to 19 November 1912. It resulted in a Serbian victory after heavy fighting ...
(November 1912), the
Battle of Adrianople
The Battle of Adrianople (9 August 378), sometimes known as the Battle of Hadrianopolis, was fought between an Eastern Roman army led by the Eastern Roman Emperor Valens and Gothic rebels (largely Thervings as well as Greutungs, non-Gothic A ...
(November 1912 to March 1913), and the
Siege of Scutari (October 1912 to April 1913) resulted in the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, which lost most of its remaining Balkan territories per the
Treaty of London (May 1913). Shortly after, the
Second Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 16 ( O.S.) / 29 (N.S.) June 1913. Serbian and Greek armies r ...
(June to August, 1913) broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with the division of territory, declared war against its former allies, Serbia and Greece. Following a string of defeats, Bulgaria requested an
armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...
and signed the 1913
Treaty of Bucharest, formally ending the war.
Serbia's independence and growing influence threatened neighboring
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
which led to the
Bosnian crisis of 1908–09. Consequently, from 1901, all Serbian males between the ages of 21 to 46 became liable for general mobilization. Following the
assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated on 28 June 1914 by Bosnian Serb student Gavrilo Princip. They were shot at close range whil ...
in June 1914, Austria-Hungary implicated Serbians and
declared war
A declaration of war is a formal act by which one state announces existing or impending war activity against another. The declaration is a performative speech act (or the signing of a document) by an authorized party of a national government, i ...
on Serbia (July 1914), which marked the beginning of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
of 1914–1918. Serbian forces repelled three consecutive invasions by Austria in 1914, securing the first major victories of the war for the
Allies
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
, but were eventually overwhelmed by the combined forces of the
Central Powers
The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
(October–November 1915) and forced to
retreat through
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
(1915–1916) to the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
island of
Corfu
Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...
(1915–1916).
Serbian military activity after World War I took place in the context of various
Yugoslav armies until the break-up of
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
in the 1990s and the restoration of Serbia as an
independent state
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
in 2006.
Organisation
The Serbian Armed Forces are commanded by the
General Staff
A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...
corp of senior
officers
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
. The general staff is led by the
Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces (militaries), the head of the military staff.
List
* Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ( United States)
* Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia)
* Chief of General Staff (Af ...
. The chief of the general staff is appointed by the
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
who is the
Commander-in-Chief. The current Chief of the General Staff is
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Milan Mojsilović.
Service branches
The armed forces consist of the following service branches:
*
Serbian Army
The Serbian Army ( sr-cyr, Копнена војска Србије, Kopnena vojska Srbije, lit=Serbian Land Army) is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces.
History
Originally established in 1830 as the Army of Pr ...
*
Serbian Air Force and Air Defence
The Serbian Air Force and Air Defence ( sr-Cyrl, Ратно ваздухопловство и противваздухопловна одбрана Војске Србије, Ratno vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazduhoplovna odbrana Vojske Srbije, Wa ...
Serbian Army
The Serbian Army (''Kopnena vojska Srbije'' - ''KoV'') is the land-based and the largest component of the armed forces consisting of: infantry, armoured, artillery, engineering units as well as
River Flotilla. It is responsible for defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia; participating in peacekeeping operations; and providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
Serbian Air Force and Air Defence
The Serbian Air Force and Air Defence (''Ratno vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazduhoplovna odbrana Vojske Srbije'' - ''RViPVO'') is the aviation and anti-aircraft defence based component of the armed forces consisting of: aviation, anti-aircraft, surveillance and reconnaissance units. Its mission is to guard and protect the sovereignty of Serbian airspace, and jointly with the Army, to protect territorial integrity.
Command structure
Command structure of the Serbian Armed Forces is centered around General Staff as the highest
command authority
''Command Authority'' is a techno-thriller novel, written by Tom Clancy and co-written with Mark Greaney, and published on December 3, 2013. It is Clancy's last major work of fiction and was released posthumously two months after his death. Set du ...
, and three separate commands: one for each of the branches (Army Command and Air Force and Air Defence Command) and one responsible for training (Training Command).
General Staff
The Serbian General Staff (''Generalštab Vojske Srbije'') makes strategic and tactical preparations and procedures for use during peacetime and war. Special forces (
63rd Parachute Brigade
The 63rd Parachute Brigade ( sr, 63. падобранска бригада, 63. padobranska brigada) is an airborne and special reconnaissance unit, one of two special forces brigades (other being 72nd Brigade for Special Operations) of the Serbi ...
and
72nd Brigade for Special Operations
7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube.
As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, ...
) are under direct command of the Chief of the General Staff. Organizational units of the Armed Forces subordinated to the General Staff are:
Guard
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison ...
,
Signal Brigade,
Central Logistics Base
The Central Logistics Base ( sr, Централна логистичка база, Centralna logistička baza) is the main central logistics unit of the Serbian Armed Forces. It is under the direct command of the General Staff.
History
The 608th ...
,
224th Center for Electronic Action,
Technical Testing Center
Technical Testing Center ( sr, Технички опитни центар, Tehnički opitni centar) is acceptance testing facility that provides testing of new and existing military aircraft, military vehicles, military equipment, battle systems, ...
,
Peacekeeping Operations Center
Peacekeeping Operations Center ( sr, Центар за мировне операције, Centar za mirovne operacije) is a unit of the Joint Operations Command within the Serbian General Staff. It is the major authority for training, selectio ...
, as well as the Directorate of Military Police (which includes
Criminal Investigative Group and
Detachment of the Military Police for Special Operations "Cobras").
Army Command
Army Command (''Komanda Kopnene vojske'') is responsible for unitary, administrative and operational control of the Army. Army Command headquarters is in
Niš
Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while ...
.
Air Force and Air Defence Command
Air Force and Air Defence Command (''Komanda Ratnog vazduhoplovstva i protivvazduhoplovne odbrane'') is responsible for unitary, administrative and operational control of the Air Force and Air Defence. Its headquarters is in
Zemun
Zemun ( sr-cyrl, Земун, ; hu, Zimony) is a municipality in the city of Belgrade. Zemun was a separate town that was absorbed into Belgrade in 1934. It lies on the right bank of the Danube river, upstream from downtown Belgrade. The developme ...
.
Training Command
The
Training Command (''Komanda za obuku'') is responsible for providing basic and specialist training for soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers of Serbian Armed Forces as well the members of foreign armies.
Equipment
The Serbian Armed Forces has a wide variety of equipment, mix of older
Yugoslav and
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
products (dating back to the 1980s and even 1970s) and new equipment, either domestically-produced from Serbian defence contractors or acquired from foreign producers (main suppliers being Russia, France, China, and to a lesser extent Germany).
Inventory of Serbian Army includes: 232 tanks (30 Russian
T-72 B1MS and 212 Yugoslav-made
M-84
The M-84 is a Yugoslav main battle tank, a variant of the Soviet T-72. The M-84 is still in service in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kuwait.
Development and production
Development
The M-84 is based on the Soviet T-72M (expo ...
), 90 self-propelled howitzers (18 domestically-produced
Nora B-52
The Nora B-52 is a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer developed by Military Technical Institute and manufactured by Yugoimport SDPR in Velika Plana, Serbia.
History
The first self-propelled Nora B (developed on the basis of Nora C) was designed ...
and 72 Soviet-made
Gvozdika), 60 Yugoslav-made
M-77 Oganj
The M-77 Oganj is a 128mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher developed in the former Yugoslavia. NATO designation is the YMRL-32.
Development
Development started in 1968. Professor Obrad Vučurović, mechanical Engineer and Chief Operating O ...
MRLs, 320 Yugoslav-made
BVP M-80
The BVP M-80, is a tracked Yugoslavian-made infantry fighting vehicle, produced from the 1980s until the country's collapse in the 1990s.
Development
Early research and development of the M-80 began in 1969, with testing of the first completed pr ...
infantry fighting vehicles, 36 domestically-produced
Lazar armoured personnel carriers, over 100 MRAPs and other armoured vehicles (including 30 domestically-produced
Miloš
Miloš, Milos, Miłosz or spelling variations thereof is a masculine given name and a surname. It may refer to:
Given name
Sportsmen
* Miłosz Bernatajtys, Polish rower
* Miloš Bogunović, Serbian footballer
* Miloš Budaković, Serbian ...
) as well as 18 pieces of domestically-produced
PASARS-16
PASARS-16 (Serbian: ПАСАРС-16) is a Serbian mobile hybrid short range air defence system intended for the protection of infantry, armoured mechanized and artillery-missile units from low flying aircraft, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial veh ...
short-range air-defence missile system (armed with total of 50 French
Mistral 3 missiles).
Serbian Air Force and Air Defense has in operational use the following equipment: 14 Soviet-made
MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the Mi ...
fighter aircraft (11 of which are modernized to SM standard and armed with
R-77
The Vympel NPO R-77 missile (NATO reporting name: AA-12 Adder) is a Russian active radar homing beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. It is also known by its export designation RVV-AE. It is the Russian counterpart to the American AIM-120 AMRA ...
missiles), 12 Yugoslav-made
J-22 attack aircraft, 1 Soviet-made
An-26
The Antonov An-26 (NATO reporting name: Curl) is a twin-engined turboprop civilian and military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the Soviet Union from 1969 to 1986.Gordon, Yefim. Komissarov, Dmitry & Sergey. "Antonov's Turboprop Twins ...
transport aircraft, 4 (and 4 more on order) Russian
Mi-35
The Soviet and later Russian Mil Mi-24 helicopter has been produced in many variants, as described below.
History
In 1966, Soviet aircraft designer Mikhail Mil created a mock-up design of a new helicopter (derived from the Mil Mi-8) which was m ...
attack helicopter (armed with
Ataka Ataka may refer to:
* Attack (political party), Bulgarian nationalist political party
*Ataka (play), a Japanese play used as a source for the film ''The Men Who Tread On the Tiger's Tail''
*9M120 Ataka, a Russian-made anti-tank guided missile
* Japa ...
missiles), 13 Russian
Mi-17
The Mil Mi-17 (NATO reporting name: Hip) is a Soviet-designed Russian military helicopter family introduced in 1975 (Mi-8M), continuing in production at two factories, in Kazan and Ulan-Ude. It is known as the Mi-8M series in Russian service. ...
utility helicopters, 5 (and 10 more on order) German
H145M utility helicopters, 6 Chinese
CH-92 combat drones, 4 batteries of Chinese
HQ-22
The HQ-22 () is a medium- to long-range semi-active radar homing/ radio-command guidance air defence system developed and manufactured in China.
Development
The HQ-22 air defence system was developed as the second generation of the HQ-12 miss ...
long-range air-defence missile system, one battery (and 2 more on order) of Russian
Pantsir
The Pantsir (russian: Панцирь, translation="Carapace") missile system is a family of self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery systems. Starting with the Pantsir-S1 (russian: Панцирь-С1, NAT ...
medium-range air-defence missile system.
In last several years Serbia has embarked on ambitious programme of equipment modernisation and acquisition. Whenever possible, the Serbian Ministry of Defence favors products that are manufactured in Serbia such as:
Lazar armoured personnel carriers,
Miloš
Miloš, Milos, Miłosz or spelling variations thereof is a masculine given name and a surname. It may refer to:
Given name
Sportsmen
* Miłosz Bernatajtys, Polish rower
* Miloš Bogunović, Serbian footballer
* Miloš Budaković, Serbian ...
light armored infantry vehicles,
Nora B-52
The Nora B-52 is a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer developed by Military Technical Institute and manufactured by Yugoimport SDPR in Velika Plana, Serbia.
History
The first self-propelled Nora B (developed on the basis of Nora C) was designed ...
artillery systems,
Lasta 95
The Utva Lasta 95 is a light military trainer aircraft produced by Utva Aviation Industry, subsidiary of Yugoimport SDPR. It is a tandem two-seater low-wing trainer with a metal airframe. The aircraft is capable of basic training functions includin ...
training aircraft. Largest procurement of foreign equipment recently included: Chinese
HQ-22
The HQ-22 () is a medium- to long-range semi-active radar homing/ radio-command guidance air defence system developed and manufactured in China.
Development
The HQ-22 air defence system was developed as the second generation of the HQ-12 miss ...
air-defence missile system, Airbus
H145M utility helicopters, Russian
Mi-35
The Soviet and later Russian Mil Mi-24 helicopter has been produced in many variants, as described below.
History
In 1966, Soviet aircraft designer Mikhail Mil created a mock-up design of a new helicopter (derived from the Mil Mi-8) which was m ...
attack helicopters as well as various missile acquisitions (French surface-to-air
Mistral
Mistral may refer to:
* Mistral (wind) in southern France and Sardinia
Automobiles
* Maserati Mistral, a Maserati grand tourer produced from 1963 until 1970
* Nissan Mistral, or Terrano II, a Nissan 4×4 produced from 1993 until 2006
* Microp ...
for PASARS vehicles; Russian
R-77
The Vympel NPO R-77 missile (NATO reporting name: AA-12 Adder) is a Russian active radar homing beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. It is also known by its export designation RVV-AE. It is the Russian counterpart to the American AIM-120 AMRA ...
air-to-air
BVR missiles for MiG-29 fighter aircraft,
Ataka Ataka may refer to:
* Attack (political party), Bulgarian nationalist political party
*Ataka (play), a Japanese play used as a source for the film ''The Men Who Tread On the Tiger's Tail''
*9M120 Ataka, a Russian-made anti-tank guided missile
* Japa ...
air-to-surface missiles for Mi-35 attack helicopters and
Kornet
The 9M133 Kornet (russian: Корнет; "Cornet", NATO reporting name AT-14 Spriggan, export designation Kornet-E) is a Military of Russia, Russian man-portable anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) intended for use against main ...
man-portable
anti-tank guided missiles
An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles. ATGMs range in size from shoulder- ...
).
Significant acquisitions of military equipment are also planned in the near future: 2 Airbus
C-295
The CASA C-295 (now Airbus C295) is a medium tactical transport aircraft that was designed and initially manufactured by the Spanish aerospace company CASA.
Work on what would become the C-295 was started during the 1990s as a derivative of ...
transport aircraft (due to be delivered by the end of 2023), French
Thales
Thales of Miletus ( ; grc-gre, Θαλῆς; ) was a Greek mathematician, astronomer, statesman, and pre-Socratic philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. He was one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Many, most notably Aristotle, regarded him ...
long-range
Ground Master 400
The Ground Master 400 is a mobile radar system manufactured by Thales-Raytheon Systems, then Thales Group. GM400 is a fully digital active electronically scanned array long-range air defense 3D radar, offering detection from very high to very low ...
and short-range
Ground Master 200
The Ground Master 200 (GM200) is a medium range radar manufactured by Thales Group. This radar is part of the Ground Master family (like GM400α, GM60, GM200 MM/A & MM/C).
The GM200 operates as an air surveillance gap filler or a sensor for a ...
air defence mobile radar systems (to be delivered in 2022 and 2023) and Russian long-range
Krasukha and short-range Repellent Patrol mobile electronic warfare systems. Recently it was also announced the intention of purchase of 12 new French
Rafale
The Dassault Rafale (, literally meaning "gust of wind", and "burst of fire" in a more military sense) is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Equipped with a wide ran ...
multirole fighter aircraft with the aim of replacing
MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the Mi ...
which will be in service until the end of the 2020s.
File:M-84_VS.jpg, M-84
The M-84 is a Yugoslav main battle tank, a variant of the Soviet T-72. The M-84 is still in service in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kuwait.
Development and production
Development
The M-84 is based on the Soviet T-72M (expo ...
tank
File:NORA-B52_M15.jpg, Nora B-52
The Nora B-52 is a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer developed by Military Technical Institute and manufactured by Yugoimport SDPR in Velika Plana, Serbia.
History
The first self-propelled Nora B (developed on the basis of Nora C) was designed ...
self-propelled howitzer
File:Modernizovani_Ognjevi_-_Odbrana_slobode_2019_Niš_2.jpg, M-77 Oganj
The M-77 Oganj is a 128mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher developed in the former Yugoslavia. NATO designation is the YMRL-32.
Development
Development started in 1968. Professor Obrad Vučurović, mechanical Engineer and Chief Operating O ...
multiple rocket launcher
File:Корнет_-_Контрольная_проверка_курсантов_Учебного_центра_боевого_применения_ракетных_войск_и_артиллерии_07.jpg, Kornet
The 9M133 Kornet (russian: Корнет; "Cornet", NATO reporting name AT-14 Spriggan, export designation Kornet-E) is a Military of Russia, Russian man-portable anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) intended for use against main ...
anti-tank guided missile system
File:Sloboda_2019_-_defile_06_-_Lazar_3_02.jpg, Lazar armored personnel carrier
File:Sloboda_2019_-_defile_08_-_BOV_M16_Miloš_04.jpg, Miloš
Miloš, Milos, Miłosz or spelling variations thereof is a masculine given name and a surname. It may refer to:
Given name
Sportsmen
* Miłosz Bernatajtys, Polish rower
* Miloš Bogunović, Serbian footballer
* Miloš Budaković, Serbian ...
armored vehicle
File:Sloboda_2019_-_defile_14_-_PASARS-16_02.jpg, PASARS-16
PASARS-16 (Serbian: ПАСАРС-16) is a Serbian mobile hybrid short range air defence system intended for the protection of infantry, armoured mechanized and artillery-missile units from low flying aircraft, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial veh ...
anti-aircraft artillery system
File:RRF_336_Djerdap.jpg, ''Neštin''-class river minesweeper
File:Serbian_mig-29_missiles.jpg, MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the Mi ...
fighter aircraft
File:Antonov_An-26_of_SAF.JPG, An-26
The Antonov An-26 (NATO reporting name: Curl) is a twin-engined turboprop civilian and military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the Soviet Union from 1969 to 1986.Gordon, Yefim. Komissarov, Dmitry & Sergey. "Antonov's Turboprop Twins ...
transport aircraft
File:Sadejstvo_2020_-_Mi-35M_35104_VS_04.jpg, Mi-35
The Soviet and later Russian Mil Mi-24 helicopter has been produced in many variants, as described below.
History
In 1966, Soviet aircraft designer Mikhail Mil created a mock-up design of a new helicopter (derived from the Mil Mi-8) which was m ...
attack helicopter
File:Serbian_H145_centered.jpg, H145M utility helicopter
File:CH-92A_Serbia.jpg, CH-92 combat drone
File:08_image_2022_04_30_14_00_00_486_1651320220.jpg, HQ-22
The HQ-22 () is a medium- to long-range semi-active radar homing/ radio-command guidance air defence system developed and manufactured in China.
Development
The HQ-22 air defence system was developed as the second generation of the HQ-12 miss ...
long-range air-defence missile system
File:Streitkräfte-Serbiens_Pantsir-S1.jpg, Pantsir
The Pantsir (russian: Панцирь, translation="Carapace") missile system is a family of self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery systems. Starting with the Pantsir-S1 (russian: Панцирь-С1, NAT ...
medium-range air-defence missile system
File:2P25 VS 2.jpg, 2K12 Kub
The 2K12 ''"Kub"'' (russian: 2К12 "Куб"; en, cube) (NATO reporting name: SA-6 "Gainful") mobile surface-to-air missile system is a Soviet low to medium-level air defence system designed to protect ground forces from air attack. "2К12" is ...
medium-range air-defence missile system
Personnel
The Serbian Armed Forces are composed entirely of professionals and volunteers following the suspension of
mandatory military service
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
in 2011.
Active personnel
There are 22,500 active members: 4,200 officers, 6,500 non-commissioned officers, 8,200
active-duty
Active duty, in contrast to reserve duty, is a full-time occupation as part of a military force. In the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations, the equivalent term is active service.
India
The Indian Armed Forces
The Indian Armed F ...
soldiers and 3,500 civilians in
volunteer military service.
It breaks down as follows:
* General Staff (including attached units: special forces brigades, Guard, Signal Brigade, Logistics, etc.): 4,300
* Army Command: 13,200
* Air Force and Air Defence Command: 3,000
* Training Command: 2,300
Reserve force
The
reserve force
A military reserve force is a military organization whose members have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional manpower. Reserve ...
is composed of an active reserve and passive (i.e. war-time) reserve. The active reserve forces have 2,000 members and they are generally required to perform 45 days of military service per year.
They are assigned to one of four reserve territorial brigades (Banat Brigade, Belgrade Brigade, Timok Brigade and Rasina Brigade), each having active HQ, command company and logistics company predicted for rapid deployment in case of war. The passive reserve totals about 600,000 citizens of age 18–49 with past military training or experience and is activated only in the events of war.
Traditions
Motto
Motto of the Serbian Armed Forces is "For Freedom and Honour of the Fatherland" (''Za slobodu i čast Otadžbine'') and is found on uniforms as well as on brigade flags.
Armed Forces Day
Serbian Armed Forces Day (''Dan Vojske Srbije'') is marked on 23 April, the anniversary of the
Second Serbian Uprising
The Second Serbian Uprising ( sr, Други српски устанак / ''Drugi srpski ustanak'', tr, İkinci Sırp Ayaklanması) was the second phase of the Serbian Revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which erupted shortly after the re ...
. On that day in 1815, in
Takovo
Takovo ( sr-cyr, Таково) is a village in the municipality of Gornji Milanovac, Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the village has a population of 458 people.Popis stanovništva, domaćinstava i Stanova 2002. Knjiga 1: Nacionalna ili etnič ...
, prominent elders met and decided to start the fight for liberation of Serbia from the
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
authorities, which eventually led to the free and independent Serbia.
Marches
The Serbian military was the first to pioneer the high-step as a
military step
Military step or march is a regular, ordered and synchronized walking of military formations.
History
The steady, regular marching step was a marked feature of Roman legions. Vegetius, the author of the only surviving treatise on the Roman Empi ...
. It is similar to the
goose step
The goose step is a special marching step which is performed during formal military parades and other ceremonies. While marching in parade formation, troops swing their legs in unison off the ground while keeping each leg rigidly straight.
The ...
, with the difference being that the knee is bent at the top of the arc. It was used by the Royal Yugoslav Army and at the time was called the "male step". The Yugoslav People's Army abandoned it after World War II, being in use for over two decades before being replaced by high-stepping in the 1975
Victory Day Parade
ukr, Парад Перемоги be, Парад Перамогі
, nickname = Victory Parades
, observedby = Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, some former Soviet countries
, duration = 1 day
, frequency = annual
, scheduling = same d ...
, to assert itself as independent from Soviet influence. High-stepping is still used today by Serbian Armed Forces, and is also utilized by the militaries of
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...
and
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
.
March Music
There are several
marches
In medieval Europe, a march or mark was, in broad terms, any kind of borderland, as opposed to a national "heartland". More specifically, a march was a border between realms or a neutral buffer zone under joint control of two states in which diff ...
in use in Serbian Armed Forces. The standard one is Parade March (''Paradni marš''), while the
Guard
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison ...
uses its own Guard March (''Gardijski marš'') as standard march music. Also frequently used and the most popular and recognizable by the general public in Serbia is famous Drina March (''
Marš na Drinu
The ''March to the Drina'' ( sr-Cyr, Марш на Дрину, ) is a Serbian patriotic March (music), march which was composed by Stanislav Binički during World War I. Binički dedicated it to his favourite commander in the Royal Serbian Army, ...
''). Other frequently used march is Vojvoda Stepa Stepanović March (''Marš vojvode Stepe Stepanovića'').
Deployments
The Serbian Armed Forces actively take part in numerous multinational
peacekeeping
Peacekeeping comprises activities intended to create conditions that favour lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed warfare.
Within the United N ...
missions.
See also
*
Military history of Serbia
The military history of Serbia spans over 1200 years on the Balkan peninsula during the various forms of the Serbian state and Serbian military.
Historical preview
Middle Ages
The Serbian army in the Middle Ages was primarily consisted of li ...
*
Military ranks of Serbia
The Military ranks of Serbia are the military insignia used by the Serbian Armed Forces.
Current ranks of the Serbian Armed Forces
Note: Serbian River Flotilla is a brigade-level brown water naval branch of the Serbian Armed Forces, subordinated ...
Citations
References
*
External links
*
Ministry of Defence
{{DEFAULTSORT:Serbia
Military of Serbia