The Serbian Army of Krajina (SAK, Serbo-Croatian: Srpska vojska Krajine, Српска војска Крајине, abbr. SVK), also known as the Army of the Republic of Serbian Krajina or Krajina Serbian Army, was the armed forces of the Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK). The SVK consisted of ground and air elements. Created through the merger of the Territorial Defense of the Republic of Serbian Krajina (TORSK), units of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and the Krajina Militia, the SVK was officially established on 19 March 1992. Responsible for the security of the RSK, its area of responsibility covered an area of some 17,028 km² at its peak, as it was located entirely inland it thus had no naval forces. The SVK, along with the state of RSK, ceased to exist in 1995 following the Croatian military offensive Operation Storm.
== Personnel == At the creation of the army, it was planned that its number would be 80,000 people, however it turned out to be less.
According to Colonel Kosta Novaković: 62,483 (772 officers, 2,709 non-commissioned officers and 59,002 soldiers) or 78% of the planned number. According to the General Staff in 1994: 62,805 (2,890 officers, 4,329 non-commissioned officers and 55,886 soldiers). According to General Milisav Sekulić: 71,409 (3,291 officers, 3,424 non-commissioned officers and 60,496 soldiers).
== Organization == The wartime organization of the Serbian Army of Krajina was structured around a centralized Main Staff that commanded several strategic support units and seven operational corps. As detailed in military documentation, the established order of battle was as follows:
=== Main Staff of the Serbian Army of Krajina === 105th Aviation Brigade 44th Air Defense Rocket Brigade 75th Mixed Artillery Brigade 2nd Guards Motorized Brigade
=== Corps === Special Forces Corps – Slunj 7th North Dalmatian Corps – Knin 15th Lika Corps – Korenica 21st Kordun Corps – Vojnić 39th Banija Corps – Petrinja 18th Western Slavonian Corps – Okučani 11th Eastern Slavonian Corps – Borovo Selo
Equipment
=== Vehicles === In 1995, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) estimated that the SVK had a total of 250 tanks and 100 armoured personnel carriers.
=== Artillery === In 1995, the IISS estimated that the SVK had a total of 200 pieces of artillery of varied calibers, 14 multiple rocket launchers, and an unknown number of 81 mm, 82 mm, and 120 mm mortars.
Anti-tank
=== Aircraft === In 1995, the IISS estimated that the SVK had 16 fixed-wing combat aircraft and 9 helicopters in service.
Air defence
Gallery
War crimes
During the Croatian War of Independence, numerous massacres were conducted by the Army of Serbian Krajina. On 2–3 May 1995, seven civilians were killed and many more injured in the Zagreb rocket attacks. The main leaders of the Serbian Army of Krajina, Milan Martić, Milan Babić and Goran Hadžić, were indicted and trialled by the ICTY for various war crimes and crimes against humanity. Milan Martić was sentenced to 35 years in prison, Milan Babić was sentenced to 13 years, while Goran Hadžić died shortly after their trial started.
== See also == Army of Republika Srpska
References
== Sources == International Institute for Strategic Studies (1995). The Military Balance 1995-1996. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-828055-2. Vrcelj, Marko (2002). Rat za Srpsku Krajinu: 1991-1995. Zora. ISBN 9788683809066. Novaković, Kosta (2009). Srpska krajina: usponi, padovi, uzdizanja. Zora. ISBN 978-86-83809-54-7. "The Army of Serbian Krajina", Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 October 1993 Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Russian and European Analysis (2002). Balkan Battlegrounds: A Military History of the Yugoslav Conflict, 1990–1995. Washington, D.C.: Central Intelligence Agency. ISBN 978-0160664724. OCLC 50396958.
== External links == "Vojska Republike Srpske Krajine". Archived from the original on 30 December 2008.
