The collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, triggered by a surge of nationalism actively supported by Western "democracies", was a true tragedy. A series of interethnic conflicts, territorial claims, economic collapse, as well as actual US intervention accompanied the period of the country's disintegration. Against this background, the annihilation of the once modern and battle-worthy enough for the assigned missions of the Yugoslavian fleet was almost imperceptible.
The Yugoslavian Navy approached the time of the collapse with a personnel of over 10 thousand people. The fleet was armed with more than 80 ships and submarines. The surface fleet was mainly "green water" ships, since they were faced with very specific tasks: protecting the coastline and coastal islands, as well as preventing the blockade by the enemy of the Otranto Strait (now between Albania and Italy), which connects the Adriatic and Ionian Seas … Also, the fleet was in charge of significant coastal defense assets: artillery (about 400 guns from 88 mm to 152 mm) and missile (for example, the Rubezh BRK).
From the navy to the flotilla
After the collapse of "Greater Yugoslavia" in 1990-1991, when Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Macedonia and Croatia jumped out of the country, the last newly-born country with access to the sea got up to 20% of the country's fleet, because at that time some of the ships were being repaired at the shipyards of Croatia. Until now, Croatia operates missile and patrol boats built in socialist Yugoslavia. However, sailors loyal to Belgrade in those troubled times still managed to take every single ship out of the Koper Bay (south-west of Italian Trieste), which belongs to another independent new European republic, Slovenia. They were located in the Bay of Kotor, then still belonging to "Little Yugoslavia" (Serbia and Montenegro).
But the "democracy" marched relentlessly, so the pro-Western and openly anti-Serb politicians of Montenegro first began to persecute the Serbian population to incite the proper heat, and then, under the guise of striving for the European path of development and other carrots in front of their noses, they ruined "Little Yugoslavia". In May 2006, the supporters of the elimination of "Little Yugoslavia" won the referendum on the independence of Montenegro with a minimal advantage.
Naturally, the next division of the fleet that still remained began. At the same time, it was accompanied by the decommissioning and dismantling of many combat units of the fleet for scrap metal. The Sava-class submarines were destroyed, and the same fate awaited two frigates, not counting the seven Rubezh missile launchers sold to Egypt. Geographical features, of course, left priority in the appropriation of the remainder of Montenegro. Until now, the Montenegrin fleet consists almost entirely of ships launched by Yugoslavia: from frigates of the Kotor type (P-33 Kotor and P-34 Pula) to missile boats of the Koncar type (RTOP-405 Jordan Nikolov Orce "and RTOP-406" Ante Banina ").
It is also worth noting that during the carve-up Montenegro appropriated the representative yacht of the Yugoslav government "Jadranka". Jadranka was built for Josip Broz Tito. The Montenegrins did not have to ride on the legacy of Yugoslavia for a long time. By the middle of the second decade of the 21st century, the yacht was brought to a putrefactive state, rolled ashore, written off from the balance of the fleet and put up for sale. The price, according to various sources, varies from 30 to 50 thousand euros.
Serbia also lost all coastal anti-ship systems, both missile and artillery. As a result, Belgrade got only the Danube River Flotilla.
Danube river flotilla of the SFRY
The Danube flotilla directly of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was born in 1944, although even during the times of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, a river flotilla on the Danube existed and included several monitors, boats and mine loaders converted from civilian tugs. As before and after the formation of the SFRY, the Danube River Flotilla was part of the Navy. It is noteworthy that even during the partisan war of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia from 1942 to 1945, the NOAJ Navy not only existed, but also actively operated. It was probably the only partisan fleet in the world at that time.
In 1960, the river flotilla was suddenly withdrawn from the Navy and transferred to the command of the 1st Army. This was followed by a reorganization, and again the flotilla was included in the Yugoslavian Navy. Until 1985, the river flotilla was replenished with warships and participated in exercises. Few truly combat operations of the flotilla were completely associated with the tragic events of the collapse of the good old Yugoslavia. On November 8, 1991, one of the flotilla's minesweepers was sent to intercept a Czechoslovak ship carrying a cargo of contraband weapons for Croatian formations.
The land fleet of modern Serbia
The modern "land" fleet of Serbia (officially in Serbian - Rechna flotilla), due to the bloody geopolitical winds, now traces its history back to 1915. It was in that year on August 6 that a patrol boat Yadar (Qadar), adapted for laying mines, descended from the stocks of a shipyard in Chukarica (a Serbian community in the Belgrade district), on the Sava River (right tributary of the Danube). … The first Serbian warship was designed by Joke Popovic and Miloika Vanic. It is in memory of this significant event for the flotilla that August 6 is the Day of the Serbian River Flotilla.
The river flotilla on the Danube is now part of the Serbian land army. The headquarters of the flotilla, which is currently commanded by Colonel Andrija Andrić, is located in Novi Sad. The main units and ships are also concentrated there, the rest of the forces are based on Belgrade and Sabac. At the moment, the range of tasks of the flotilla as a tactical unit of the ground army includes the transportation of troops and equipment, as well as their landing on an unequipped coast if necessary, ensuring safe navigation and participation in joint operations, including anti-terrorist ones. They also attract the flotilla to solve non-combat missions in the event of natural disasters and catastrophes.
The modern organizational structure of the flotilla is as follows: two detachments of river ships (one in Novi Sad, the other in Belgrade), two pontoon battalions (one in Novi Sad, the other in Sabac), a command company and a logistics company (both companies are based in Novi Sad) …
The ship's composition of a modest flotilla
A kind of flagship of the flotilla, on which the command is located, is one of the oldest operating ships in the world - "Kozar". This ship was built in 1939 at the shipyard in Regensburg (Austria). During World War II, the ship was part of the German Danube flotilla called Kriemhield. After the surrender of Germany, Kriemhield became the American floating barracks Oregon. After the "demobilization" of the ship in 1946, it was handed over to private hands. It was only in 1960 that Yugoslavia, in exchange for a cargo ship, acquired the Krimhield Oregon, introducing it into the fleet as a base ship under the name of Kozara.
In 2004, the Kozara ship underwent modernization and overhaul. At the moment, the ship's crew is 47 people. Length - 67 meters, width - 9, 55 meters, maximum draft - 1, 45 meters. Displacement - up to 600 tons. The maximum speed is 21 km / h (when driving downstream, the speed increases to 25 km / h). Armament - three three-barreled 20-mm anti-aircraft guns M55 Yugoslav production (Zastava M55). Also "Kozara" can carry a stock of mines of various types, and it is also possible to place up to 250 soldiers with equipment.
The main, so to speak, striking force of the flotilla are four river minesweepers of the "Neshtin" type: RML-332 "Titel", RML-335 "Apatin", RML-336 "Djerdap" and RML-341 "Novi Sad". All of them were built at a military shipyard in Belgrade from 1976 to 1980. The ships are used for counter-terrorism operations, protecting infrastructure and ships in the basing areas, assisting ground forces and ensuring the safety of navigation of ships.
The total displacement does not exceed 78 tons. Length - 26.9 meters, width - 6.5 meters. The maximum speed is 28 km / h. The crew is 17 people. Armament: a four-barreled 20-mm M75 class IV gun and two 20-mm M71 class I guns. The Novi Sad is the oldest in the series, armed with two four-barreled 20-mm guns, but it was upgraded already in 1999.
The next in terms of mass in the flotilla are landing boats of project 411. Previously, these boats were part of a group of 32 sistership ships based in the Kumbor region (Montenegro). Only a few boats went to Serbia. And then only because of the necessary repairs and modernization, they were transported along the inland waterways to the territory of Serbia, after which they became part of the river flotilla. Now they are used both for transporting manpower and equipment, and as assault boats.
Full displacement - 42 tons. The boat can carry six tons of cargo or 80 soldiers with equipment. Speed - 28.5 km / h. The armament consists of two 20 mm M71 guns, a BP-30 automatic grenade launcher and two 12.7 mm machine guns. The boats also carry four Strela-2M MANPADS.
The flotilla also includes river patrol boats of various types and displacement. These ships are armed with 20-mm M71 guns. Motor boats are armed with machine guns.
Standing apart are two pontoon battalions and a river vessel demagnetization station, armed with 20mm M71 guns and also patrolling river routes. The pontoon battalions include M-71 pontoon bridges on FAP 2026 trucks, as well as 12 Soviet floating transporters PTS-M.
At the end of March 2020, by the way, it was the pontoon battalions that conducted exercises in connection with the aggravation of the situation and additional tension in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. The main task was to check the readiness to create and maintain transfer points across the country's river arteries. The tasks were worked out under the conditions of a possible attack on the created points.
