Army of Republika Srpska

Army of Republika Srpska; Војска Републике Српске (ВРС); Vojska Republike Srpske (VRS)
	Emblem of the Army of Republika Srpska
Active	1992–2006
Size	80,000 soldiers (during the Bosnian War)
Garrison/HQ	Banja Luka, Republika Srpska
Anniversaries	1992 founded, 2001 re-organisation
Engagements	Bosnian War, Croatian War of Independence
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Ratko Mladić (1992-1996)

The Army of Republika Srpska (Serbian language: Војска Републике Српске (ВРС); Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian Vojska Republike Srpske (VRS)) also referred to as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of today's Republika Srpska which was then the "Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina", a self-proclaimed state within the internationally recognized territory of the sovereign Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Starting in 2003 the army began to integrate into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2005 a fully integrated unit of Serbs, Bosniaks, and Croats was deployed to augment the U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq.^[4] On 6 June 2006, it was fully integrated into Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina controlled by the Ministry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

History[edit | edit source]

The Army of the Republika Srpska (VRS) was founded on 12 May 1992 from the remnants of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from which Bosnia and Herzegovina had seceded the same year. When the Bosnian War erupted, the JNA formally discharged 80,000 ethnically Serb troops who lived in Bosnia and were garrisoned there. These troops, who were allowed to keep their heavy weapons, formed the backbone of the newly formed Army of the Republika Srpska.^[5] Aside from being made up almost entirely of Serb Orthodox officers and recruits from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the VRS also utilized the services of approximately 4,000 foreign Orthodox Christian volunteers to participate in combat operations during the Bosnian War. 1,000-1,500 of these came from Russia, the Ukraine and Bulgaria,^[6] with 700 volunteers originating from Russia specifically.^[7] 100 Greeks also volunteered to fight on the side of the Bosnian Serbs, forming the Greek Volunteer Guard and allegedly participating in the Srebrenica massacre.^[8]

The military leader of VRS was General Ratko Mladić, who is now indicted at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for genocide, as are other high-ranking Serb officers. Mladić was finally arrested in Serbia on 26 May 2011.

Special Units[edit | edit source]

- Специјална Јединица "МАНДО" – Special unit "Mando"
- Гарда Пантери – The Guard "Panteri"
- Бели Вукови – White Wolves
- Специјална Јединица "ПEШA" – Special unit "Pesa"

Organization[edit | edit source]

1993[edit | edit source]

1st Krajina Corps - Banja Luka
2nd Krajina Corps - Drvar
3rd Corps - Bijeljina
East Bosnia Corps - Han Pijesak
Herzegovina Corps - Bileća

1995[edit | edit source]

1st Krajina Corps - Banja Luka
2nd Krajina Corps - Drvar

East Bosnia Corps - Bijeljina
Sarajevo-Romanija Corps - Pale
Drina Corps - Han Pijesak
Herzegovina Corps - Bileća

2001[edit | edit source]

1st Corps - Banja Luka
3rd Corps - Bijeljina
5th Corps - Sokolac
7th Corps - Bileća

Equipment[edit | edit source]

Tanks[edit | edit source]

M-84
T-55
BVP M-80
OT M-60P
BTR-50
BOV

Towed Artillery[edit | edit source]

Self-Propelled Artillery[edit | edit source]

2S1 Gvozdika

MLRS[edit | edit source]

ATGW[edit | edit source]

AT-3 and AT-5

Anti-Tank Guns[edit | edit source]

T-12

Anti-Aircraft Guns[edit | edit source]

MANPADs and SAMs[edit | edit source]

Infantry Weapons[edit | edit source]

Aircraft inventory of Republika Srpska Air Force[edit | edit source]

Main article: Republika Srpska Air Force

Formerly known as Ratno Vazduhoplovstva i Protiv Vazdušna Odbrana Vojska Republike Srpske or RV i PVO RS. Beginning on 1 June 2004, the Republika Srpska Air Force was officially called, Prvi Puk Vazduhoplovstva i Protiv Vazdušna Odbrana Vojske Republike Srpske, also known as 1st Aviation Regiment and Air Defence Force of the Republic of Srpska's Army.

References[edit | edit source]

↑ Ramet 2010, p. 130
↑ Jonathan S. Landay (15 August 1994). "UN Says Lifting Bosnia Embargo May Hurt Muslims, Help Serbs". The Christian Science Monitor. http://www.csmonitor.com/1994/0815/15031.html. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
↑ "THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA - Case No. IT-95-5/18-I". UN - ICTY. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-19. http://web.archive.org/web/20070919030718/http://www.un.org/icty/indictment/english/mla-ai021010e.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-26. "On 12 May 1992, Ratko MLADIC was appointed Commander of the Main Staff of the VRS, a position he held until at least 22 December 1996. On 24 June 1994, Ratko MLADIC was promoted to the rank of General Colonel."
↑ Nedim Dervisbegovic (2005-06-02). "Bosnia's first unified army platoon deployed to Iraq". signonsandiego. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071015063236/http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050602/news_1n2bosnia.html. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
↑ John Kifner (27 January 1994). "Yugoslav Army Reported Fighting In Bosnia to Help Serbian Forces". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/27/world/yugoslav-army-reported-fighting-in-bosnia-to-help-serbian-forces.html. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
↑ Innes 2006, p. 157
↑ Thomas 2006, p. 13
↑ Helena Smith (5 January 2003). "Greece faces shame of role in Serb massacre". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/jan/05/balkans.warcrimes. Retrieved 4 March 2013.

Books[edit | edit source]

Innes, Michael A. (2006). Bosnian Security after Dayton: New Perspectives. Routledge. http://books.google.ca/books?id=2Wp0B0xHqsAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Bosnian+Security+after+Dayton:+New+Perspectives&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ohs1UfLWLqW02wW1ooG4DQ&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
Ramet, Sabrina P. (2010). Central and Southeast European Politics Since 1989. Cambridge University Press. http://books.google.ca/books?id=oFXdiS25N78C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Central+and+Southeast+European+Politics+Since+1989&hl=en&sa=X&ei=E7MfUfXlCum92gWIqoHAAg&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA. Retrieved 4 March 2013.

This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).

Thomas, Nigel (2006). The Yugoslav Wars (2): Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia 1992 - 2001. Osprey Publishing. http://books.google.ca/books?id=a7cOQ9Nch2AC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Yugoslav+Wars+(2):+Bosnia,+Kosovo+and+Macedonia+1992+-+2001&hl=en&sa=X&ei=dhk1UYvPOsnB2wWXnYGADg&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA. Retrieved 4 March 2013.

[1] Ramet 2010, p. 130

[2] Jonathan S. Landay (15 August 1994). "UN Says Lifting Bosnia Embargo May Hurt Muslims, Help Serbs". The Christian Science Monitor. http://www.csmonitor.com/1994/0815/15031.html. Retrieved 4 March 2013.

[name-3] "THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA - Case No. IT-95-5/18-I". UN - ICTY. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-19. http://web.archive.org/web/20070919030718/http://www.un.org/icty/indictment/english/mla-ai021010e.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-26. "On 12 May 1992, Ratko MLADIC was appointed Commander of the Main Staff of the VRS, a position he held until at least 22 December 1996. On 24 June 1994, Ratko MLADIC was promoted to the rank of General Colonel."

[unified-4] Nedim Dervisbegovic (2005-06-02). "Bosnia's first unified army platoon deployed to Iraq". signonsandiego. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071015063236/http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050602/news_1n2bosnia.html. Retrieved 2007-09-26.

[5] John Kifner (27 January 1994). "Yugoslav Army Reported Fighting In Bosnia to Help Serbian Forces". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/27/world/yugoslav-army-reported-fighting-in-bosnia-to-help-serbian-forces.html. Retrieved 4 March 2013.

[6] Innes 2006, p. 157

[7] Thomas 2006, p. 13

[8] Helena Smith (5 January 2003). "Greece faces shame of role in Serb massacre". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/jan/05/balkans.warcrimes. Retrieved 4 March 2013.

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