Military of Slovenia

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The Military of Slovenia consists of the Slovenian Armed Forces (also Slovenian Army; officially Slovene Slovenska vojska; SAF/SV). The SAF are the armed forces of Slovenia. As of 2003 it is organized as a fully professional standing army. The Commander-in-Chief of the SAF is the President of the Republic of Slovenia (Danilo Türk), while operational command is in the domain of the Chief of the General Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces (Albin Gutman).

[edit] History

The current Slovenian Armed Forces are descended from the Territorial Defense of the Republic Slovenia (Teritorialna obramba Republike Slovenije; TORS), which was formed in 1968 as a paramilitary organization in the former Yugoslav republic of Slovenia. The main objectives of this organisation were to support the Yugoslav National Army (JLA) and to conduct guerilla operations in the event of an invasion.

When Slovenia declared its independence in the midst of the Yugoslav Wars in 1991, the TORS and the Slovenian police formed the majority of forces engaging the Yugoslav People's Army during the Ten-Day War. And the Slovenian Armed Forces were formally established in 1993 as part of the reorganisation of the TORS.

[edit] Current Status

A major reorganization of the Slovenian Armed Forces is currently underway, with the goal of changing it from a territorial defense force into a deployable force primarily aimed at peacekeeping. After 1993, the Slovenian Armed Forces had relied on mandatory military service, with conscripts receiving 6-7 months of training. In 2003, the Slovenian Government abolished conscription and as of July 2004, the Slovenian Armed Forces had been almost completely reorganised into a professional army now based on volunteers. Currently there are approximately 7,500 officers and approximately 33,000 enlisted personnel, reduced from 55,000 personnel during conscription. Slovenian Army now consists of two brigades, the 1st and 72nd. The Slovenian Army consists primarily of infantry, but it also contains a small air force and naval unit which are subordinate to it.

[edit] NATO Membership

As part of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Slovenia was never a member of the Warsaw Pact. Today, the foreign policy priority of NATO membership drives Slovenia's defense reorganization. Once many countries lifted the arms embargo on Slovenia in 1996, the country embarked on a military procurement program to bolster its status as a NATO candidate and to aid its transformation into a mobile force. Active in the SFOR deployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia is also a charter member of Partnership for Peace and a regular participant in PfP exercises. The United States provides bilateral military assistance to Slovenia, including through the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program, the State Partnership Program (aligned with Colorado), and the EUCOM Joint Contact Team Program.

Slovenia formally joined NATO in March 2004.[1] The transition of her armed forces from a primarily conscript-based territorial defense organization to a professional force structure have the ultimate goal of creating NATO-interoperable combat units able to operate on an even par with units from other NATO armies. Implementation of interoperability objectives as determined by the Planning and Review Process (PARP) and the Individual Partnership Program (IPP) as part of Slovenia's PfP participation proceeds. Slovenia's elite units already train with and are integrated into international units including NATO members--for example as part of SFOR and on Cyprus. Its elite mountain troops will be assigned to the Multinational Land Force peacekeeping battalion with Italy, Hungary, and Croatia. Slovenia hosted its first PfP exercise in 1998--"Cooperative Adventure Exchange"--a multinational disaster-preparedness command post exercise involving almost 6,000 troops from 19 NATO and PfP member nations.

Slovenian soldiers are a part of international forces serving in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. They have also served in Cyprus and the Golan Heights as a part of UNFICYP and UNDOF respectively.

[edit] Organization

The Slovenian Armed Forces are organized as single-branch armed forces with the army as their primary component. The naval force (one detachment) and the air force (one helicopter battalion, school unit and bases) are included as support elements of the army and not as independent branches.

The personnel is divided into three categories:

• professional soldiers (full-time soldiers)
• contract reserve soldiers (serve up to 30 days per year)
• voluntary recruits (basic training)

[edit] Commands and units

• General Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces (Generalštab Slovenske vojske)

• Verification Centre of the Slovenian Armed Forces (Verifikacijski center Slovenske vojske)
• Forces Command of the Slovenian Armed Forces (Poveljstvo sil Slovenske vojske)

• 1st Brigade

• 10th Motorized Battalion
• 20th Motorized Battalion
• 17th Military Police Battalion
• 670th Command-Logistics Battalion

• 72nd Brigade

• 132nd Mountain Battalion
• 45th Armoured Battalion
• 74th Armoured-Mechanized Battalion
• 460th Artillery Battalion
• 18th NBCD Battalion
• 76th Anti-armoured Company
• 72nd Command-Logistics Company
• 14th Engineer Battalion

• Support Command

• 71st Command-Logistics Company
• Military Territorial Commands

• 23rd Military Territorial Command
• 24th Military Territorial Command
• 25th Military Territorial Command
• 32nd Military Territorial Command
• 37th Military Territorial Command
• 38th Military Territorial Command

• Logistics Battalion
• Military Medical Unit
• Flight Base

• 15th Helicopter Battalion
• 9th Air Defense Battalion
• 11th Communications Battalion
• 16th Air Control Battalion
• 430th Naval Detachment
• Intelligence-Reconnaissance Battalion

• Command Headquarters
• Unit for Special Activities
• Unit for Electronic Warfare
• Command-Logistics Company

• Command for Doctrine, Development, Education and Training of the Slovenian Armed Forces (Poveljstvo za doktrino, razvoj, izobraževanje in usposabljanje Slovenske vojske)

• Noncommissioned Officer's School
• Sports Unit
• Library and Information Centre
• Military Museum
• Commissioned Officer's School
• Command Staff School
• Centre for Doctrine and Development
• School for Foreign Languages
• Centre for Training
• Flight School

[edit] Weapons and equipment

[edit] Infantry

[edit] Small Arms

• FN F2000 assault rifle (standard)
• SAR-80 assault rifle (non-standard)
• Zastava M70
• Beretta M 92 handgun
• MP-5 submachine gun
• M249 PARA machine gun
• FN MAG machine gun
• M76 sniper rifle
• FN Ultima Ratio Commando I sniper rifle
• FN PGM .338 LM sniper rifle
• FN PGM Hecate II sniper rifle

[edit] Antitank weapons

• AT-7 Metis ATGM
• 9K111 Fagot ATGM
• 9K11 Maljutka ATGM
• M79 Osa RPG
• M57 RPG
• M80 Zolja RPG
• Spike anti-tank guided missile

[edit] Anti-Aircraft Weapons

• Igla MANPADS
• Strela 2M MANPADS
• 9x Roland II SAM

[edit] Artillery

• MN 9 120 mm mortar
• 16x M2A1 105 mm howitzer (reserve status)
• 18x TN90 155/45 mm howitzer
• 30x M48B1 76 mm gun (reserve status)
• 4x M63 128 mm MRLS (reserve status)

[edit] Tanks and IFVs

• 54x M-84 MBT
• 30x M-55 S MBT (stored)
• 52x M-80A IFV
• 85x Valuk IFV
• 135x Patria AMV (have been ordered)

[edit] Air Force

[edit] Airplanes

• 9x Pilatus PC-9M Hudourniks
• 2x Pilatus PC-9
• 2x Pilatus PC-6 Porters
• 1x Let L-410 Turbolet
• 2x Zlin Z-143
• 8x Zlin Z-242

[edit] Helicopters

• 3x HE B-206
• 8x HE B-412
• 4x Eurocopter AS-532AL Cougar

[edit] Naval Force

• 1x Super Dvora Mk2 patrol boat

[edit] Other Vehicles

• 30x HMMWV M1114
• 10x Otokar Cobra Armoured Scout Vehicle
• 12x BOV 3
• 28x BOV M

Slovenian Soldiers with FN F2000

Slovenian Soldier

Roland II SAM

Slovenian MAN Army Truck

Slovenian HMMWV M1114

 TN90 155/45 mm howitzer

Slovenian 9K111 Fagot ATGM

M-80A IFV

Valuk IFV

Slovenian M-84 MBT

M-55S tank

MT-55A

Slovenian Armoured Vehicles

Slovenian Convoy in Kosovo KFOR Mission

Slovenian Soldier Patrolling in Afghanistan ISAF Mission

T-55 ARV version

Pilatus PC-9

Pilatus PC-9

Eurocopter Cougar

HE B-412 

[edit] International Cooperation

As Slovenia is part of NATO and the European Union, the Slovenian Armed Forces participate in many (military) aspects of both organizations.

[edit] Military rank insignias

[edit] Data

Military branches: Slovenian Army (includes Air and Naval Forces)

Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 525,031 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 417,726 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 14,958 (2000 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $335 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.6% (FY99)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official page (Slovenian)
• Slovenian Ministry of Defence official site (English)
• Slovenian Air Force
• Slovenian Armed Forces/Slovenska vojska

hu:Szlovénia hadereje sl:Slovenska vojska