Army of Republika Srpska

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=Army of the Republika Srpska
Војска Републике Српске (ВРС)
Vojska Republike Srpske (VRS)


caption= RS army tanks. In front is T-55later captured and renamed to Ajvaz Dedo by PL BiH, and behind him is SPAAG made from T-55 and Bofors
dates=1992–2006
country=
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size=
garrison=Banja Luka, Republika Srpska
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equipment=
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battles=Bosnian War
anniversaries=1992 founded, 2005 reorganisation,
decorations=
commander1=
commander1_label=
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notable_commanders=Ratko Mladić - 1992-1996cite web |year=2007 |url = http://www.un.org/icty/indictment/english/mla-ai021010e.htm|title = THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA - Case No. IT-95-5/18-I|format = HTML |publisher = [http://www.un.org UN - ICTY] | accessdate = 2007-09-26 | last= |quote=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.]

The Army of the Republika Srpska ( _sr. Војска Републике Српске (ВРС); Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian "Vojska Republike Srpske (VRS)") also referred to as Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of the Republika Srpska. 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 help out the U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraqcite web |date=2005-06-02|url = http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050602/news_1n2bosnia.html|title = Bosnia's first unified army platoon deployed to Iraq|format = HTML |publisher = [http://www.signonsandiego.com signonsandiego] | accessdate = 2007-09-26 | last=Nedim Dervisbegovic |quote=] . On June 6, 2006 it was fully integrated into Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina controlled by the Ministry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

History

It was founded on May 12, 1992 from the army of former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from which Bosnia and Herzegovina had seceded the same year. The army counted some 80,000 personnel during the Bosnian War (1992-1995).

The VRS was made up almost entirely of Serb Orthodox officers and recruits from Bosnia-Herzegovina. The army formations that fought for Republika Srpska also included various Serb paramilitary units, as well as Russian, Greek and other volunteers fighting for the Serb cause and Greek volunteers participated in the worst massacre in Europe since World War II, the Srebrenica Massacrecite web |date=2003-01-05|url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/jan/05/balkans.warcrimes|title = Greece faces shame of role in Serb massacre|format = HTML |publisher = [http://www.signonsandiego.com signonsandiego] | accessdate = 2008-10-03 | last=Helena Smith |quote=] . There were also a few Bosniaks, mostly from the area of Teslić and Derventa (major Ismet Đuherić and his Meša Selimović companyFact|date=June 2008 consisted of 120 men including Serbs and Croats) in the north of the country.

The VRS has been designated by the International Court of Justice in the Hague as the institution that participated in the commission of war crimes and genocide in Bosnia against Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats. 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, but has not yet been apprehended.

Military operations

**Operacija Koridor
**Operacija Breza
**Operacija Mac 1
**Operacija Mac 2
**Operacija Krivaja 95
**Operacija Stupcanica 95
**Sadejstvo 93
**Operacija Vrbas 92

pecial Forces

**Специјална Јединица "МАНДО" - SPECIAL UNIT "MANDO"
**Гарда Пантери - The Guard "PANTERI"
**Бели Вукови - WHITE WOLFS
**Шкорпиони - SCORPIONS
**Специјална Јединица "ПEШA" - SPECIAL UNIT "PESA"
**Дрински Корпус - DRINA CORPS.

Organization

*1st Krajna Corps - Banja Luka
**41st Infantry Division
**7th Infantry Brigade
**145th Motorized Brigade
**149th Infantry Brigade
**417th Artillery Regiment
**5th Air Defence Regiment
**552nd Engineer Regiment
*2nd Krajna Corps - Drvar
**4th Armored Brigade
**12th Motorized Brigade
**140th Motorized Brigade
**257th Motorized Brigade
**10th Air Defence Regiment
*3rd Corps - Bijeljina
**2nd Motorized Brigade
**195th Motorized Brigade
**6th Infantry Brigade
**11th Infantry Brigade
**29th Infantry Brigade
**454th Artillery Regiment
**17th Air Defence Regiment
**17th Engineer Regiment
*East Bosnia Corps - Han Pijesak
**5th Motorized Brigade
**6th Motorized Brigade
**10th Motorized Brigade
**49th Motorized Brigade
**145th Motorized Brigade
**437th Motorized Brigade
**19th Mountain Brigade
**215th Mountain Brigade
**208th Artillery Regiment
**4th Air Defence Regiment
*Herzegovina Corps - Bileća
**473rd Motorized Brigade
**145th Motorized Brigade
**13th Motorized Brigade
**8th Motorized Brigade
**5th Mountain Brigade

Equipment

Armoured fighting vehicles

Main Battle Tanks
*M-84 - 85
*T-55 - 193

Armoured Personnel Carriers
*M-60P
*BOV M-86
*BTR-50
*BRDM-2

Infantry Fighting Vehicles
*M-80A IFV

Antitank Vehicles
*BOV-1

Artillery

Towed Artillery
*M-56
*D-30
*M-46
*D-20

Self-Propelled Howitzers
*M36 Jackson - 120
*2S1 - 10

Multiple Rocket Launchers
*M-63 "Plamen"
*M-77 "Oganj" - 5
*M-87 "Orkan"

Air Defence

Anti-Aircraft Artillery
*Bofors 40 mm gun L/70
*BOV-3
*M-55
*BOV-3/30
*ZSU-57-2
*M53/59 Praga

MANPADs
*Strela 2 (SA-7)
*9K34 Strela-3 (SA-14)
*9K38 Igla (SA-18 Grouse)

Self-Propelled SAM's
*S-75
*SA-6
*SA-9

Aircraft inventory of Republika Srpska Air Force

Commonly know with is old name of Ratno Vazduhoplovstva i Protivvazdušna Odbrana Vojska Republike Srpske or with its short version of "RV i PVO RS", Since 1st June 2004 the Republika Srpska Air Force is officially called:

"1 [Spelled "Prva" that in Bosnian language, Croatian language, and Serbian language means: first] Puk Vazduhoplovstva i protivvazdušna odbrana Vojske Republike Srpske" or "V i PVO VRS" 1st Aviation Regiment and Air Defence Force of the Republic of Srpska's Army.

References