TheYugoslav Navy (Serbo-Croatian:Југословенска ратна морнарица,Jugoslavenska ratna mornarica,lit. 'Yugoslav War Navy'), was the navy ofYugoslavia from 1945 to 1992. It was essentially a coastal defense force with the mission of preventing enemy landings alongYugoslavia's rugged 4,000-kilometer shoreline or coastal islands, and contesting an enemy blockade or control of the strategicStrait of Otranto.[1]
Former Yugoslav Navy submarinesHeroj (P-821) andUna (P-912) in the Museum of Maritime Affairs in the port ofPorto Montenegro,Tivat.
The Partisans had operated many small boats in raids harassing Italian convoys in theAdriatic Sea duringWorld War II.[1] After the war, the navy operated numerousGerman andItalian submarines, destroyers, minesweepers, and tank-landing craft captured during the war or received as war reparations.[1] TheUnited States provided eight torpedo boats in the late 1940s, but most of those units were soon obsolete.[1] Two ex-Royal NavyW-class destroyers were bought in 1956.[2]
The navy was upgraded in the 1960s when it acquired tenOsa-I class missile boats and fourShershen-class torpedo boats from theSoviet Union.[1] The Soviets granted a license to build eleven additional Shershen units in Yugoslav shipyards developed for this purpose.[1]
In 1980 and 1982, the navy took delivery of two SovietKoni-class frigates.[1] In 1988 it completed two additional units under license.[1] TheKoni frigates were armed with four Soviet SS-N-2B surface-to-surface missile launchers, twin SA-N-4 surface-to-air missiles, and antisubmarine rocket launchers.[1] The Yugoslav navy developed its own submarine-building capability during the 1960s.[1] In 1990, the main combat units of the submarine service were threeHerojclass patrol submarines armed with 533 mm torpedoes.[1] Two smallerSava class units entered service in the late 1970s.[1] TwoSutjeska class submarines had been relegated mainly to training missions by 1990.[1] At that time, the navy had apparently shifted to construction of versatilemidget submarines.[1] FourUna-class midget submarines and fourMala-class swimmer delivery vehicles were in service in the late 1980s.[1] They were built for use by underwater demolition teams and special forces. TheUna-class boats carried five crewmen, eight combat swimmers, four Mala vehicles, andlimpet mines.[1] The Malavehicles in turn carried two swimmers and 250 kilograms ofmines.[1]
The navy operated tenOsa I-class and sixRade Končar-class missile boats.[1] TheOsa I boats were armed with four SS-N-2A surface-to-surface missile launchers.[1] In 1990, domesticKobraboats were scheduled to begin replacing the Osa I boats.[1] TheKobrawas to be armed with four SS-N-2C launchers or eight Swedish RBS-15 antiship missile launchers.[1] Armed with two SS-N-2B launchers, theKončar-class boats were modeled after the SwedishSpica class.[1] The navy also operated fifteen Shershen-class torpedo boats and eleven Yugoslav-built units.[1]
Patrol boats were operated primarily for antisubmarine warfare.[1] The inventory included threeMornar-class corvettes with antisubmarine rocket launchers and depth charges.[1] The Mornar class was based on a French design from the mid-1950s.[1] SeventeenMirna inshore patrol boats and thirteen older Kraljevica submarine chasers also were available.[1]
The navy's mine warfare and countermeasures capabilities were considered adequate in 1990.[1] It operated four Vukov Klanac class coastalminehunters built on a French design, four BritishHam-class inshore minesweepers, and six 117-class inshoreminesweepers built in domestic shipyards.[1] Larger numbers of older and less capable minesweepers were mainly used in riverine operations.[1] Other older units were used as dedicatedminelayers.[1] The navy used amphibious landing craft in support of army operations in the area of the Danube,Sava, andDrava rivers.[1] They included both tank and assault landing craft.[1] In 1990, there were four501-class, ten211-class, and twenty-five601-class landing craft in service.[1] Most of them were also capable of laying mines in rivers and coastal areas.[1]
The coastal artillery batteries had bothsurface-to-surface missiles and guns.[1] They operated the Soviet-designedSS-C-3 and a truck-mounted, Yugoslav-producedBrom antiship missile.[1] The latter was essentially a Yugoslav variant of the SovietSS-N-2.[1] Coastal guns included over 400 88 mm, 122 mm, 130 mm, and 152 mm artillery pieces obtained from the Soviet Union, the United States, postwarGermany, and Yugoslav manufacturers.[1]
Minor surface combatants operated by the navy included about 80frigates,corvettes,submarines,minesweepers, and missile,torpedo, and patrol boats in theAdriatic Fleet.[1] The entire coast ofYugoslavia was part of the naval region headquartered at Split.[1] The naval region was divided into three smaller naval districts and theDanube Flotilla with major bases located atSplit,Šibenik,Pula,Ploče, andKotor on the Adriatic andNovi Sad on theDanube.[1] The fleet was organized into missile, torpedo, and patrol boat brigades, a submarine division, and minesweeper flotillas.[1] The naval order of battle included four frigates, three corvettes, five patrol submarines, 58 missile, torpedo, and patrol boats, and 28 minesweepers.[1] Navy had a support of one antisubmarine warfarehelicopter squadron based atDivulje on the Adriatic for coastal operations.[1] It employed SovietKa-25,Ka-28 andMi-14 helicopters, and domestic Partisan helicopters.[1] Some air force fighter andreconnaissance squadrons supported naval operations.[1]
After the collapse of theState Union of Serbia and Montenegro (the final dissolution ofYugoslavia), the 108-th missile brigade for coastal defense, the 88-th fleet of submarines, thehydrographic Institute of the navy inLepetani and the naval testing center were disbanded in 2007.[3] Seven missile systemsFrontier-E from the 108-th missile brigade and fivemissile boats class Osa were sold toEgypt, property of the naval testing center were transferred in the technical testing center of theSerbian army, naval base in Tivat Arsenal was sold to Canadian businessmanPeter Munk for 3.2 million euro.[3]
The 12th Naval Infantry Brigade (Mornarička Pešadijska Brigada) were themarines of the Yugoslav Navy until 4 February 2003 when it became part the Navy of theState Union of Serbia and Montenegro. The 12th Naval Infantry Brigade was headquartered in the 8th Naval Sector at Split but was later moved nearKotor, a coastal town inMontenegro. A small detachment was located atNovi Sad on theDanube. The brigade consisted of 900 to 2,000 men in two or three battalions. As a multi-ethnic unit, the brigade was broken up during theBreakup of Yugoslavia, and it saw little action. The largest remnant eventually moved to Montenegro. There is a naval special forces detachment (Pomorski odred - Specijalne snage) In theMontenegrin Navy[4] — perhaps this is composed of residual members of the 12th Naval Infantry Brigade.
RF-31Split (since 1993Beograd) – Withdrawn from operational use byVCSG, scrapped in August 2013.[5]
RF-32Koper (since 1993Podgorica) – Withdrawn from operational use by theYugoslav Navy (RMVJ) in 1995. Partially cannibalized for parts in 2007 and sold toYugoimport SDPR for further cannibalization, finally scrapped in 2008 at Tivat Arsenal.
P-831Sava – Withdrawn from operational use by VSCG in 2004. Towed to Turkey in March 2010, where she was cut up for scrap.[6]
P-832Drava – Heavy maintenance stopped during 1996, withdrawn from operational use by the VSCG. Cut up for scrap metal at Tivat Arsenal in June 2008.[6]
P-914Soča – Remained inCroatia during events of 1991.[6][7] Modernization completed in 1996. In operational use by theCroatian Navy asVelebit (P-01) until 2004, when she was withdrawn. Currently awaiting sale atLora Naval Base in Split, Croatia.
P-915Vardar – Heavy maintenance stopped in 2003, withdrawn from operational use by the MVSCG. Scrapped in July 2008 at Tivat Arsenal.[6][7]
P-916Vrbas – Withdrawn from operational use by MVSCG in 2005. To go on display in Kumbor,Herceg-Novi.
RTOP-401Rade Končar – Withdrawn from operational use by the MCG in 2006. Currently awaiting sale at Bar, Montenegro.
RTOP-402Vlado Ćetković – Captured by the Croatian Navy atŠibenik in September 1991. Introduced into operational use as RTOP-21Šibenik. Located at Lora Naval Base in Split.
RTOP-403Ramiz Sadiku – Heavy maintenance stopped mid-1990s. Withdrawn from operational use by the RMVJ in 2007, scrapped in 2014.
RTOP-404Hasan Zahirović-Laca – Withdrawn from operational use by the MCG in 2006. Currently awaiting sale at Bar, Montenegro.
RTOP-405Jordan Nikolov – Orce – Overhauled and in storage by the MCG.
RTOP-406Ante Banina – Overhauled and in storage by the MCG.
RČ-301Mitar Acev– Captured by the Croatian Navy at Šibenik in 1991. In operational use by the Croatian Navy as thefast patrol boat-minelayer OBM-41Dubrovnik until 2008.[8]
RČ-302Vlado Bagat – Withdrawn from operational use by the RMVJ in the mid-1990s. Fate unknown.
RČ-303Petar Drapšin - Withdrawn from operational use by the RMVJ in the mid-1990s. Fate unknown.
RČ-304Stjepan Filipović-Stevo – Withdrawn from operational use by the RMVJ in the mid-1990s. Modernised at Tivat Arsenal in Montenegro. In operational use by Egyptian Navy since 2007, serial 647.
RČ-305Žikica Jovanović-Španac - Withdrawn from operational use by the RMVJ in the mid-1990s. Modernised at Tivat Arsenal in Montenegro. In operational use by Egyptian Navy since 2007, serial 649.
RČ-306Nikola Martinović - Withdrawn from operational use by the RMVJ in the mid-1990s. Modernised at Tivat Arsenal in Montenegro. In operational use by Egyptian Navy since 2007, serial 651.
RČ-307Josip Mažar –Šoša - Withdrawn from operational use by the RMVJ in the mid-1990s. Modernised at Tivat Arsenal in Montenegro. In operational use by Egyptian Navy since 2007, serial 653.
RČ-308Karlo Rojc - Withdrawn from operational use by the RMVJ in the mid-1990s. Modernised at Tivat Arsenal in Montenegro. In operational use by theEgyptian Navy since 2007, serial 655.
RČ-309Franc Rozman-Stane - Withdrawn from operational use by the RMVJ in the mid-1990s. Fate unknown.
RČ-310Velimir Škorpik – Captured in September 1991 at Šibenik by the Croatian Navy and sunk on 12 October 1994 in a live ammunition target practice by the missile boatsKralj Petar Krešimir IV and OBM-41Dubrovnik during operation Posejdon.[8][9][10]
TČ-219Streljko - Captured by the Croatian Navy in September 1991 at Šibenik . Heavily damaged, she never returned to service and was sunk as a target by the missile boatsKralj Petar Krešimir IV and OBM-41Dubrovnik on 12 October 1994, during operation Posejdon.[9][10]
TČ-220Crvena zvezda
TČ-221Partizan III - Captured in September 1991 at Šibenik by the Croatian Navy, with which she saw service as OBM-51Vukovar.
PČ-171Biokovo - Damaged offŠkarda island by a9K11 Malyutka missile fired by Croatian naval personnel landed from the armed fishing boatsMaša andNirvana, anchored at a cove in the island[12][13] on 10 November 1991;[13] limped toMali Lošinj.[12] Later captured by the Croatian Navy. In operational use as OB-01Novigrad. Located at Lora Naval Base in Split.
PČ-172Pohorje - In Montenegro, used for tourists.
PČ-173Koprivnik - Shelled Šibenik on 17 September 1991, during theSerb assault on the city.[14] In Montenegro, used for tourists.
PČ-175Grmeč - Evacuated to Montenegro during 1991. Sold to a private owner from Croatia in 2007.
PČ-176Mukos - Heavily damaged on 14 November 1991 offŠolta island by a torpedo launched by Croatian Navy special forces during theBattle of the Dalmatian channels. Abandoned by the JRM and towed by local civilian boats, she was later raised, repaired and put back in operational use by HRM as OB-02Šolta.[15]
PČ-177Fruška Gora - In Montenegro, used for tourists.
PČ-179Zelengora - Evacuated to Montenegro during 1991. In 2007, she was sold to a private owner from Croatia.
PČ-180Cer - Shelled Šibenik on 17 September 1991, during the Serb assault on the city.[16] Captured by the Croatian Navy at that port days later. In operational use as OB-03Cavtat. Located at Lora Naval Base in Split, Croatia.
PČ-181Durmitor - Captured by the Croatian Navy at Šibenik in 1991. In operational use as OB-04Hrvatska Kostajnica. Located at Lora Naval Base in Split, Croatia.
RML-332Motajica - In service with the River Flotilla of the Serbian Armed Forces.
RML-333Belegiš - sold to a tourist agency.
RML-334Bosut - Withdrawn and cannibalised.
RML-335Vučedol - In service with the River Flotilla of the Serbian Armed Forces.
RML-336Djerdap - In service with the River Flotilla of the Serbian Armed Forces.
Botica class
RML-307
RML-308 - Damaged in combat in theDanube on 8 November 1991 while attempting to stopCzechoslovaktowboatŠariš, suspected of smuggling arms to Croatia.[17]
Yugoslavia.svg)
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Soviet Union
Montenegro
United Kingdom
Italy
Germany - Currently in operational use by Montenegro.
Austria
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