Serbian Land Forces

Infobox Military Unit
armed forces full name=Serbian Land Forces
Копнена Војска


caption= Serbian Ground Forces
dates= 1867-1918
2006 -
allegiance=
branch=Army (Ground forces)
type=
role=
size= 32,000 professional troops, smaller number of conscripts
garrison= Niš
patron=
motto="For Freedom and Honor of the Fatherland"
_sr. "За слободу и част Отаџбине"
current_commander= Lt. Gen. Mladen Ćirković
current_commander_label=Commander

Land Forces (Serbian: Копнена Војска - КоВ or Kopnena Vojska - KoV) is the largest and the oldest army branch of Serbia. Its organization, structure, armaments and equipment are tailored to support their assigned missions and tasks, predominately on the ground.

Mission

Land Forces Command is primarily responsible for:
* deterring armed threats
* defense of the territory
* creating conditions for mobilization and development of the Army and other bodies, and organization of defense system,
* participation in peace-keeping operations and international military cooperation and
* providing support to civil authorities in countering non-military challenges, risks and security threats.

Organization

Manpower

The Serbian Land Forces is the largest army branch within the Military of Serbia. Currently there are about 38,000 professional soldiers and a large number of conscripts. After the reorganization, the number of professional troops has grown, while the number of conscripts has decreased. Conscription will be abolished by 2010, and all military personnel will be 100% professional. Once the process is complete, the land forces would have a force of 36,000+ professional troops, able to respond to crisis situations.

Modernization

As of 2004, the general staff has begun to reorganize and re-equip the land forces component. With the fazed path towards a completely professional force by 2010, the basic quality of soldiers and the need for effective equipment and training has gone up. The reorganization of land forces is finished and is currently headed to a completely professionalized force, expected 2010. Procurement of newer and basic modernization is also planned.

For year of 2008 Military of Serbia have many development plans and projects for land forces. The main projects are purchase of new communication gear, new home-made Zastava M21 automatic rifles,12 more Nora B-52s, new 8x8 armored personal carriers and the most important for this year, finishing of Cepotian base near Preševo, which will base units of the 4th Land Brigade. Cepotina will cut military cost is paying money for use of non military housing 4th Land Brigade units. The older obsolete vehicles are under replacement with newer and more sophisticated ones. Recently a tender for 200 8x8 armored personnel carriers was announced with options for Patria AMV, BTR-90, Mowag Piranha or Pandur [ [http://www.politika.co.yu/detaljno.php?nid=51490 Serbian Army needs 200 transporters ] ] .

tructure

The current Serbian Land Forces are organized into four Land Forces Brigades, Combined-Arms Artillery Brigade, Special Brigade, River Flotilla, Military Police battalions and a few independent supporting battalions. The four Land Forces brigades are bigger than the regular modern brigade (see Military organization for the size of the modern brigade) and their size is more akin to a division. The each Land Forces Brigade consist of ten brigades, one command battalion, two infantry battalions, one self-propelled artillery battalion, air defense rocket artillery battalion, tank battalion, two mechanized battalions, one logistic and one engineer battalion. Only exception is "LF 1st Brigade", which have only one infantry battalion and two pontoon battalions.

The current chief of the Serbian Land Forces Staff is Lieutenant General Mladen Ćirković.

The current structure is as follows:

*
**
**
**
**
*
**10th Command Battalion
**11th Infantry Battalion
**12th Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion
**13th Self-Propelled Missile Launcher Artillery Battalion
**14th Air Defense Artillery Battalion
**15th Tank battalion
**16th Mechanized Battalion
**17th Mechanized Battalion
**18th Engineer Battalion
**19th Logistic Battalion
**110th Pontoon Battalion
**111th Pontoon Battalion

*
**20th Command Battalion - Kraljevo
**21st Infantry Battalion - Raška
**22nd Infantry Battalion - Valjevo
**23rd Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion - Kraljevo
**24th Self-Propelled Missile Launcher Artillery Battalion - Valjevo
**25th Air Defense Artillery Battalion - Kraljevo
**26th Tank Battalion - Kraljevo
**27th Mechanized Battalion - Kraljevo
**28th Mechanized Battalion - Novi Pazar
**29th Logistic Battalion - Kraljevo
**210th Engineer Battalion - Kraljevo

*
**30th Command Battalion - Niš
**31st Infantry Battalion - Zaječar
**32nd Infantry Battalion - Zaječar
**33rd Self-Propelled Howitzer Artillery Battalion - Prokuplje
**34th Multiple Rocket Launcher Battalion - Prokuplje
**35th Air Defense Artillery Battalion - Niš
**36th Tank Battalion - Niš
**37th Mechanized Battalion - Kuršumlija
**38th Mechanized Battalion - Kuršumlija
**39th Logistic Battalion - Niš
**310. Engineer Battalion - Prokuplje

*
**40th Command Battalion
**41st Infantry Battalion
**42nd Infantry Battalion
**43rd Self-Propelled Howitzer Artillery Battalion
**44ht Self-Propelled Rocket Launcher Battalion
**45th Air Defense Artillery Rocket Battalion
**46th Tank Battalion
**47th Mechanized Battalion
**48th Mechanized Battalion
**49th Logistic Battalion
**410th Engineer Battalion

*
**Command Division
**Combined-Arms Artillery Rocket Battalion
**2nd Howitzer-Cannon-Artillery Battalion
**3rd Howitzer-Cannon-Artillery Battalion
** Logistic Battalion

*
**93rd River Center - Novi Sad

*"'
**Commanding Battalion - Pančevo
**63rd Paratroop Battalion - Niš
**72nd Reconnaissance-Commando Battalion - Pančevo
**Logistics company - Pančevo

Equipment

The Land Forces are mainly equipped with ex-Yugoslav Peoples Army weapon stocks inherited from Military of Serbia and Montenegro. The M-84 MBT and M-80A IFV are the main armored units in use, while a small number of T-72's are used for training purposes. There is also a number units of Soviet origin such as the BRDM-2 and BTR-50 vehicle's as well as artillery pieces including the 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled gun-howitzer. There are about 200 Orkan, Oganj and Plamen-S MLRS's and several towed artillery pieces in reserve, D-30 and M-46 guns. The army also operates a number of air defense systems like Strela 2, Strela-3, Igla and MANPADS and Strela-1 Strela-10SAMs. The newest equipment for infantry use are of Western and domestically made origin.

Currently the Serbian military is in process of modernization. Some acquisitions include new utility/logistical vehicles, new ballistic protection and equipment for infantry, M21S Assault Rifles and other equipment. [ [http://www.naslovi.net/2008-02-28/glas-javnosti/domaca-puska-m21-u-vs/586856 New rifle for Serbian Army ] ] . There are also many plans for modernization of existing equipment like M-98 Vidra IFV, M-2001, Kurjak and others. [ [http://www.yugoimport.com/# Y!-report ] ] Recently a tender for 200 8x8 armored personal carriers was announced with options for Patria AMV, BTR-90, Mowag Piranha or Pandur.

Equipment Summary

pecial Forces

The Serbian Land Forces contributes with four of the five special forces battalions of the Military of Serbia.

The main special forces unit is the "Special Brigade", created on September 29, 2006 which compose of three special battalions (63rd Paratroop Battalion, 72nd Reconnaissance-commando Battalion and Anti-terrorist Battalion). The Special Brigade was the first reorganized unit of the Serbian military. Reestablished from ex-Yugoslav Army's - VJ (later Military of Serbia and Montenegro's - VSCG) Special Corps which has compose from the most elite units of the VJ, "63rd Paratroop Brigade" (now Battalion), "72nd Special Brigade Hawks" (now 72nd Reconnaissance-Commando Battalion), Battalion of Military Police Cobras, "82nd Reconnaissance-demolition diving sea center" and other units. The main reason for unifying of Special units is cutting the costs with remission of command and logistic part of special units.

The most of special forces battalions is located at Pančevo while the "63rd Paratroop Battalion" is only located at Niš in "Aerodrom" military barracks located at the military part of Niš Constantine the Great Airport.

Beside the Special Brigade, there are also the 93 River Center which is currently part of River Flotila and Battalion of Military Police Cobras as part of Guard. The 93rd River Center will be integrated into the Special Brigade, thus uniting all special operation units under a single centralized command while the Cobras will remain as part of Guard.

Ranks and insignia

ee also

* Military of Serbia
* River Flotilla
* 72nd Reconnaissance-commando Battalion
* Battalion of Military Police Cobras

References

External links

* [http://www.mod.gov.yu Serbian Ministry of Defense]
* [http://www.vojska.mod.gov.yu Official Website]