Sastav JNA 1989./90.

[Dragoner]

Hello! Sorry for using english, but my croatian is very bad... I am working on an Order of Battle (you would say "sastav" or "ustro", I believe) of former JNA on www.tank-net.org forum (you can find the original posting there at the military history section). We are talking about the last phase of cold war, that is the years 1989/1990. I am hoping to get some additional information here and would be thankfull for any corrections.


JUGOSLAVENSKA NARODNA ARMIJA, PART 1


Personnel strength: 236.918 (plus 38.423 civilian employees), wartime: 1.058.378 (1990, numbers include Air Force and Navy, not Territorial Defense with up to 1,5 Million combatants)


Ministry of Defense/General Staff ("Generalstab", like in German), Belgrade

Nuclear War Command Headquarters ("Atomska Ratna Komanda", ARK), Konjic*

Alternate Supreme Command Headquarters, Crna Rijeka (near Han Pijesak)

Electronic Intelligence and ECM Center ("EI i PED"), Split-Divulje
Electronic Intellingence and ECM Center, Velika Buna (near Zagreb)
Electronic Intelligence and ECM Bn, Titovo Uzice
Electronic Intelligence and ECM unit, Prokuplje

Guards Motorized Brigade, Belgrade, strength: 4000 men - A
-1. Tank Bn
-1. Motorized Bn
-2. Motorized Bn
-1. Military Police Bn (included an anti-terrorist company)
-2. Military Police Bn
-1. Light Air Defense Artillery Bn
-Security Guard Bn
-Logistics Bn

63. Airborne Brigade, Nis (officially was part of the Air Force) - A

Special Forces Group/General Staff, Pancevo
Airborne Special Forces Coy, Nis

389. Missile Artillery Brigade, Banja Luka (Luna-M/Frog-7) - B

Technical and Supply Base/General Staff (former 608. Logistics Base)

317. Signal Regiment, Bijeljina
398. Signal Regiment, Titovo Uzice

(totals:
Three Signal Regiments
One Engineer Regiment
One Light Air Defense Artillery Group)

*underground facility known as "Objekat D-O" (object D-O), could host some 350 people and withstand a nuclear explosion of 25-30 ktn


1. Military District ("vojna oblast" = VO), Belgrade-Topcider (former 1. Army)

4. Motorized Divison (being disbanded)
22. Rifles Division (being disbanded)

1. Mixed Anti-Tank Brigade, Belgrade - B

152. Mixed Artillery Brigade, Cuprija

?. Special Forces Recce Bn, Vrdnik

?. Signal Regiment

?. Military Police Bn

1. Military District Electronic Reconnaissance Plt ("Elektronski Izvidnicki Vod" = EIV), Batajnica (Air-Force-manned, equipped with 5 to 6 Gazelle-HERA-Helicopters)

46. Protection Regiment, Belgrade-Topcider

The River Flotilla, Novi Sad

1. Proletarian Guard Motorized Division, Belgrade-Banjica - B
1. Proletarian Guard Motorized Brigade, Belgrade - B
2. Proletarian Guard Motorized Brigade, Valjevo - B
3. Proletarian Guard Motorized Brigade, Pozarevac - B
1. Proletarian Guard Mixed Artillery Regiment, Kragujevac
1. Proletarian Guard Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment
1. Proletarian Guard Light Mixed Air Defense Regiment
1. Proletarian Guard Engineer Bn, Belgrade-Topcider
1. Proletarian Guard Signal Bn

Belgrade City Military Command
505. Motorized Brigade, Belgrade
151. Motorized Brigade, Belgrade
153. Motorized Brigade, Obrenovac
150. Motorized Rifles Regiment, Belgrade
22. Mixed Anti Tank Regiment, Belgrade
22. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Belgrade

4. Corps, Sarajevo
10. Motorized Brigade, Mostar - A
49. Motorized Brigade, Sarajevo-Lukavica - A
120. Light Infantry Brigade, Sarajevo
651. Motorized Brigade
216. Mountain Brigade, Han Pijesak
13. Partisan Division - R
431. Bridge Bn, Capljina
?. Mixed Artillery Regiment
?. Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment
?. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment
?. Engineer Regiment
?. Signal Bn
?. Military Police Bn, Sarajevo
?. Medical Bn
?. Transportation Bn
?. Replacement Bn
?. NBC Defense Coy
?. Recce Coy

5. Corps, Banja Luka
329. Armored Brigade, Banja Luka - B
343. Motorized Brigade, Prijedor
16. Proletarian Motorized Brigade, Banja Luka
40. Partisan Divison, Pozega - R
10. Partisan Division - R
5. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment
5. Mixed Artillery Regiment
?. Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment
293. Engineer Regiment, Nova Topola
?. Signal Bn
5. Military Police Bn
?. Medical Bn
?. Transportation Bn
?. Replacement Bn
?. NBC Defense Coy
?. Recce Coy
993. Logistics Base, Banja Luka-Krcmarice

12. Corps, Novi Sad
18. Proletarian Motorized Brigade, Novi Sad
36. Mechanized Brigade, Subotica - A
51. Mechanized Brigade, Pancevo* - A
-51. Engineer Bn, Pancevo
453. Mechanized Brigade, Sremska Mitrovica - B/R
506. Rifles Brigade, Zrenjanin
16. Mixed Anti-Tank Brigade, Backa Topola - B
16. Mixed Artillery Regiment, Ruma
12. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Novi Sad
?. Engineer Regiment
?. Signal Bn
12. Military Police Bn, Novi Sad
?. Medical Bn
?. Transportation Bn
?. Replacement Bn
?. NBC Defense Coy
?. Recce Coy
?. Border Bn, Vrsac
793. Logistics Base, Novi Sad (or Petrovaradin)

*at least one source says, 51. Mechanized Brigade belonged to 24. Corps, Kragujevac

17. Corps, Tuzla
12. Proletarian Mechanized Brigade, Osijek - A
92. Motorized Brigade, Tuzla
327. Motorized Brigade, Derventa
395. Motorized Brigade, Brcko
130. Motorized Brigade
11. Partisan Division, Doboj - R
38. Partisan Division, Bijeljina - R
454. Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment, Derventa
12. Mixed Artillery Regiment, Vinkovci
17. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Vinkovci
?. Engineer Regiment
670. Bridge Bn, Slavonski Brod
?. Signal Bn, Tuzla
?. Military Police Bn
?. Medical Bn
17. Transportation Bn, Tuzla
?. Replacement Bn
?. NBC Defense Coy
?. Recce Coy
51. Border Bn, Beli Manastir
904. Logistics Base, Sevarlije-Potocani (near Doboj)


24. Corps, Kragujevac
80. Motorized Brigade, Kragujevac
169. Motorized Brigade, Loznica
9. Motorized Brigade, Zajecar
35. Motorized Brigade, Mladenovac
24. Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment
24. Mixed Artillery Regiment
?. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment
?. Engineer Regiment
?. Signal Bn
?. Military Police Bn
?. Medical Bn
?. Transportation Bn
?. Replacement Bn
?. NBC Defense Coy
?. Recce Coy
524. Logistics Base, Kragujevac
201. Logistics Base, Paracin

37. Corps, Titovo Uzice
252. Armored Brigade, Kraljevo - B
544. Motorized Brigade, Sabac
20. Motorized Brigade, Valjevo
27. Motorized Brigade, Kraljevo
37. Motorized Brigade, Raska
168. Motorized Brigade, Novi Pazar
473. Motorized Brigade, Gornji Milanovac
51. Partisan Division, Nova Varos - R
?. Mixed Artillery Regiment
?. Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment
?. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment
579. Engineer Regiment, Kraljevo
228. Signal Bn, Gornji Milanovac
?. Military Police Bn
?. Medical Bn
?. Transportation Bn
?. Replacement Bn
?. NBC Defense Coy
?. Recce Coy


3. Military District, Skopje (former 3. Army)

37. Motorized Division (being disbanded)

203. Mixed Artillery Brigade, Nis
150. Mixed Artillery Brigade, Vranje
326. Mixed Artillery Brigade, Danilovgrad

?. Special Forces Group, Skopje
?. Special Forces Recce Bn, Pirot

?. Signal Regiment, Skopje

?. Protection Regiment

?. Military Police Bn

3. Military District EIV, Skopje-Petrovec (see above)

2. Corps, Titograd
5. Proletarian Motorized Brigade, Titograd
472. Motorized Brigade, Trebinje - B
57. Mountain Brigade, Pljevlja
3. Motorized Brigade, Ivangrad
179. Motorized Brigade, Niksic
23. Brigade, Bileca / Bosnian TO - R
3. Partizan Division
?. Mixed Artillery Regiment
?. Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment
?. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment
?. Engineer Regiment
?. Signal Bn
?. Military Police Bn
?. Medical Bn
?. Transportation Bn
?. Replacement Bn
?. NBC Defense Coy
?. Recce Coy

21. Corps, Nis
211. Armored Brigade, Nis - B
2. Motorized Brigade, Nis
4. Motorized Brigade, Pirot
?. Mountain Brigade, Pirot
89. Motorized Brigade, Vranje
135. Motorized Brigade, Surdulica
148. Motorized Brigade, Aleksinac
805. Motorized Brigade, Prokuplje
?. Mixed Artillery Regiment
?. Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment
?. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment
?. Engineer Regiment
?. Signal Bn
287. Military Police Bn, Nis
?. Medical Bn
?. Transportation Bn, Nis
?. Replacement Bn
?. NBC Defense Coy
?. Recce Coy
525. Logistics Base

41. Corps, Bitola
87. Motorized Brigade, Tetovo - A
243. Armored Brigade, Skopje - B
?. Mixed Artillery Regiment
?. Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment
?. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment
?. Engineer Regiment
?. Signal Bn
?. Military Police Bn
?. Medical Bn
?. Transportation Bn
?. Replacement Bn
?. NBC Defense Coy
?. Recce Coy
?. Border Bn, Ohrid

42. Corps, Kumanovo
212. Motorized Brigade, Titov Veles
592. Motorized Brigade, Kumanovo
39. Rifles Brigade, Stip
?. Mixed Artillery Regiment
?. Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment
?. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment
?. Engineer Regiment
?. Signal Bn
?. Military Police Bn
?. Medical Bn
?. Transportation Bn
?. Replacement Bn
?. NBC Defense Coy
?. Recce Coy

52. Corps, Pristina
15. Proletarian Mechanized Brigade, Pristina - A
125. Motorized Brigade, Titova Mitrovica
102. Mixed Anti-Tank Brigade, Gnjilane - B
58. Motorized Brigade, Leposavic
549. Motorized Brigade, Prizren
52. Military Police Bn, Pristina
15. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Pristina
52. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Dakovica
?. Mixed Artillery Regiment
?. Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment
52. Engineer Regiment, Krusevac
?. Signal Bn
?. Medical Bn
?. Transportation Bn
?. Replacement Bn
?. NBC Defense Coy
?. Recce Coy
53. Border Bn, Dakovica
55. Border Bn, Prizren
57. Border Bn, Urosevac

[Dragoner]

JUGOSLAVENSKA NARODNA ARMIJA, PART 2


5. Military District, Zagreb (former 5. Army), strength: 39.945 men (1990)

6. Proletarian Rifles Division, Karlovac (being disbanded)

202. Mixed Artillery Brigade, Slovenska Bistrica
580. Mixed Artillery Brigade, Karlovac - B

?. NBC Defense Bn, Zagreb-Borongaj

367. Signal Regiment, Samobor
308. Signal Regiment, Ljubljana

10. Special Forces Group, Dugo Selo*
Special Forces Recce unit, Maribor

65. Protection Regiment, Dugo Selo

5. Military District EIV, Zagreb-Pleso (see above)

*could have been part of 65. Protection Regiment

Zagreb City Military Command*
6. Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment - R
6. Mixed Artillery Regiment - R
6. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment

*was probably downgraded - in contrary to the City Command of Belgrade - and subordinated to 10. Corps around 1988

10. Corps, Zagreb
4. Armored Brigade, Jastrebarsko - A/B
8. Proletarian Motorized Brigade, Karlovac (formed around 1990 after 6. Proletarian Rifles Division was disbanded) - R
140. Mechanized Brigade, Zagreb/Dugo Selo* - (planned: A)
(140. Motorized Brigade, Zagreb)* - B
(31. Mechanized Brigade, Dugo Selo)* - R
622. Motorized Brigade, Petrinja - R
257. Motorized Brigade, Petrinja (new formation created of 257. and 291. Rifles Regiment and some other units around 1990) - R
380. Motorized Brigade, Karlovac
33. Partisan Division, Dugo Selo - R
4. Partisan Brigade, Karlovac - R
10. Recce Coy - R
10. Military Police Bn - R
10. NBC Defense Coy - R
10. Signal Bn - R
10. Medical Bn - R
60. Medical Coy - R
10. Transportation Coy - R
10. Replacement Bn - R
306. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Karlovac
313. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment - R
151. Anti-Tank Artillery Battery - R
152. Anti-Tank Artillery Battery - R
167. Separate Anti-Tank Artillery Group
513. Engineer Brigade (new formation created of 10. and 258. Engineer Regiment around 1990)
123. Bridge Bn, Dugo Selo - A
671. Bridge Bn - R
485. Bridge Bn, Karlovac
17. Bridge Coy
74. Bridge Coy
530. Logistics Base

*140. Motorized and 31. Mechanized Brigade merged into 140. Mechanized Brigade, year: 1990

13. Corps, Rijeka (former "13. Operational Group")
13. Proletarian Motorized Brigade, Illirska Bistrica - A/B
6. Mountain Brigade, Delnice - B
12. Mountain Brigade, Bihac (existed in the mid 80's, could have been disbanded around 1990)
236. Proletarian Motorized Brigade, Gospic (formed of 9. and 10. Rifles Regiment after 6. Proletarian Rifles Division was disbanded around 1990) - R
25. Motorized Brigade, Pazin (see also Maritime Military District)
8. Partisan Division (probably disbanded around 1990)
35. Partisan Division - R
43. Partisan Divison, Pazin - R
13. Recce Coy - R
13. Military Police Bn - R
13. NBC Defense Coy - A
13. Signal Bn, Rijeka - R
13. Medical Bn - R
13. Transportation Bn - R
13. Replacement Bn - R
13. Light Air Defense Artillery Bn - R
13. Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment - R
166. Separate Anti-Tank Artillery Group, Bihac
13. Mixed Artillery Regiment - R
127. Engineer Regiment - A
540. Bridge Bn

14. Corps, Ljubljana (former "14. Proletarian Motorized Division") - peactime strength (1990): 13.900 men
1. Armored Brigade, Vrhnika - A/B
14. Proletarian Motorized Brigade, Ljubljana-Sentvid - R
228. Motorized Brigade, Postojna - A
253. Motorized Brigade, Ajdovscina
345. Alpine Brigade, Kranj - B
15. Partisan Division, Novo Mesto - R
-5. Partisan Brigade, Ljubljana
-14. Partisan Brigade, Novo Mesto
-25. Partisan Brigade, Ribnica
30. Partisan Divison, Vrhnika - R
-13. Partisan Brigade, Rakek
-19. Partisan Brigade, Ajdovscina
-20. Partisan Brigade, Vrhnika
1. Separate Partisan Brigade - R
14. Mixed Artillery Regiment, Ribnica
14. Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment, Veliki Otok (near Postojna)
314. Anti-Tank Artillery Group
168. Barrage/Fortress Battery
635. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Ljubljana-Sentvid
14. Engineer Regiment, Skofja Loka
45. Bridge Coy
14. Signal Bn, Ljubljana
298. Military Police Bn, Ljubljana
14. Medical Bn, Ljubljana
14. Transportation Bn
14. Replacement Bn
61. Border Bn, Radovljica
62. Border Bn, Tolmin
63. Border Bn, Nova Gorica
64. Border Bn, Sezana
528. Logistics Base, Ljubljana


31. Corps, Maribor (former "31. Infantry Division") - peacetime strength (1990): 6300 men
6. Motorized Brigade, Celje
145. Motorized Brigade, Novo Mesto
195. Motorized Rifles Brigade, Maribor - B
325. Motorized Brigade
29. Partisan Division, Ptuj - R
11. Separate Partisan Brigade, Slovenska Bistrica - R
31. Mixed Artillery Regiment, Maribor
417. Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment, Ptuj
183. Anti-Tank Artillery Battery
186. Anti-Tank Artillery Battery
31. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Ptuj
522. Engineer Regiment, Celje
270. Bridge Bn
76. Bridge Coy
31. Military Police Bn, Maribor
31. Signal Bn
31. Medical Bn
31. Transportation Bn
31. Replacement Bn
?. NBC Defense Coy
?. Recce Coy
65. Border Bn, Murska Sobota
66. Border Bn, Maribor
67. Border Bn, Dravograd
699. Logistics Base, Celje

32. Corps, Varazdin (former "32. Mechanized Division")
32. Mechanized Brigade, Varazdin - A
265. Mechanized Brigade, Bjelovar - A
158. Mixed Anti-Tank Brigade, Dakovo* - B
288. Mixed Anti-Tank Brigade, Virovitica* - B
411. Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment, Krizevci - R
73. Motorized Brigade, Koprivnica - B
28. Partisan Division, Bjelovar - R
32. Partisan Division, Varazdin - R
32. Mixed Artillery Regiment, Varazdin
?. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment
32. Engineer Regiment, Cakovec
32. Military Police Bn, Varazdin
32. Signal Bn, Varazdin
32. Medical Bn, Varazdin
32. Transportation Bn
32. Replacement Bn
32. NBC Defense Coy, Varazdin
?. Recce Coy
42. Border Bn, Virovitica
43. Border Bn, Koprivnica

*could be direct reporting to the 5. Military District as some sources claim


Maritime Military District ("vojnopomorska oblast", VPO), Split

Operations Center VPO, Zrnovnica

108. Coastal Missile Brigade, Radovici (P-20/SS-N-2C Styx)

82. Naval Special Forces Unit ("pomorski centar"), Split-Divulje

332. Signal Regiment, Sinj

290. Military Police Bn, Split

Maritime Military District EIV, Split-Divulje (see above)


The Fleet (HQ at Split)


9. Corps, Knin

221. Motorized Brigade, Knin - B
180. Motorized Brigade, Benkovac
11. Motorized Rifles Brigade*
62. Motorized Brigade, Benkovac**
3. Brigade / Croatian TO - R
9. Mixed Artillery Regiment
557. Mixed Anti-Tank Regiment, Knin
?. Light Air Defense Artillery Regiment
594. Engineer Regiment, Sinj
9. Military Police Bn, Knin
9. Signal Bn
9. Medical Bn
9. Transportation Bn
9. Replacement Bn
?. NBC Defense Coy
?. Recce Coy
405. Logistics Base, Knin

*could be former 11. Marine Rifles Brigade at Sibenik
**mentioned at the Hague war crimes tribunal, no other confirmation

REMARK: Several yugoslav sources list a 9. (Separate) Tank Bn for 9. Corps. I trusted them, but the information was incorrect for the timeframe of this orbat, as I found out now. The 9. Bn together with another Tank Bn (10.) was added to the Corps at the end of 1991. The troops came from 1. Military District to reinforce the 9. Corps that was heavily involved in the first military actions of JNA and irregular serbian forces against croatia. The example shows how difficult it will be to get a correct JNA-orbat for the last days of cold war and not to mix up facts with the first days of the yugoslav nightmare.

5. Maritime Sector Command, Pula
139. (Guard) Marine Rifles Brigade, Pula* (with at least one Bn at Mali Losinj, probably disbanded around 1990)
5. Motorized Rifles Brigade, Pula**

*designations vary from source to source, one source even names both
**confusing cause there was definitely a 5. Proletarian Motorized Brigade at the 2. Corps at Titograd

One Source says, 25. Motorized Brigade at Pazin (listed here with 13. Corps at Rijeka) was a merger of 139. Marine Rifles Brigade at Pula with a Partisan Brigade (at Pazin and Umag) and was subordinated to
5. Maritime Sector

8. Maritime Sector Command, Sibenik
12. Amphibious Brigade, Sibenik (with detachment at Molat-Bonaster)*
11. Marine Rifles Brigade, Sibenik (probably disbanded around 1990)*

*Designations vary from source to source, one source even names both. 11. Brigade at Sibenik and 139. Brigade at Pula definitely existed both in the mid 80's and then eventually were reorganized and got new designations.

9. Maritime Sector Command, Kumbor
24. Motorized Rifles Brigade, Trebinje
107. Mixed Artillery Brigade, Radovici

Separate Naval Base Commands:
Vis
Lastovo
Losinj


Other installations (Schools, Institutes etc.)

NBC-Laboratory, Mostar
Technical Test Center, Belgrade-Kumodraz

Navy Installations:
Naval Test Center, Split-Lora
Naval Hydrographical Institute, Split
Shipbuilding Institute, Zagreb
Naval Medical Institute, Split

[maler & CO.]

saluti mio amico,pero penso che tu sei voltato a curva adressa.

[strjela]

You can get info from this Croatian site:
http://www.vojska.net/eng/armed-forces/yugoslavia/

[Dragoner]

Thank's for the link, but I know it already. The Order of Battle at vojska.net is a stub or, even worse, definitely wrong.

[Dragan1986.]

Dragoner kaže:

Thank's for the link, but I know it already. The Order of Battle at vojska.net is a stub or, even worse, definitely wrong.

Why are you interested in this?

[havoc]

During the 1980s, the army high command began a series of reorganization plans named Jedinstvo or unity. For more see: Davor Marijan, "Jedinstvo - posljednji ustroj JNA"

[Dragoner]

Thank you Havoc, I already know the paper. My croatian is very poor, so I'm not sure that I could understand correctly. Did you find anything wrong in my Order of Battle compared to the Marijan-text?

[Slaven80]

Your link http://www.firewirehr.host.sk/Zeljava-index2.html is not longer valid...

I admire your persistency in seeking such materials... but this forum, IMHO, will not provide the info you are looking for... The break-up of Yugoslavia had made very big scars... still not healed.

Unfortunately I have no info you don't already know, sorry...

PS. I read all you wrote on tanknet... congrats... a very nice job

[Dragoner]

Thanks Slaven80, it's real hard work having nearly no assistance by other forum members.

The war in yugoslavia for sure doesn't make it easy to reconstruct the JNA orbat. In some aspect exactly this seems absurd to me: No one should have any reason to keep the secrets of an army and a state that doesn't exist anymore...
I made the experience that it can be very easy in some cases to find information spread out all over former yugoslavia, often very detailed. You can find the orbat of a corps with all sub-units, even the bakery and the clothing depot, for example. On another corps you then find nearly nothing. It's really a puzzle. Today for example I got a list with the totals for the Bosnian TO in 1990 (you can find it on tank-net.org already) - but no idea where all the 26 bosnian TO-Brigades were stationed.
Well, as I posted already on tank-net.org, I will go on with the JNA-orbat till the end of the year and then leave it to others to find out more.

PS: Sorry for the Zeljava-link. It doesn't work all time, no idea why. Try it again.

[Dragoner]

I just want to point out that the JNA Order of Battle is constantly updated at www.tank-net.org (go to Military History section there). Several changes compared to the Order of Battle presented here were already made in the meentime.

[Dragoner]

Got information about a 521. puk mornarickog pjesastva at Bisevo island. Does anyone have more about that?

[brale_st]

Dragoner kaže:

Got information about a 521. puk mornarickog pjesastva at Bisevo island. Does anyone have more about that?

Biševo has population of 19. Probably none of those 19 is younger then 50. Now, a whole regiment at the island... Hmmm, sounds kinda hollow to me.