Army of Republika Srpska

A typical uniform of a VRS member during the 1990s

The Army of the Republika Srpska (VRS) was founded on 12 May 1992 from the remnants of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from which Bosnia and Herzegovina had seceded earlier in 1992. When the Bosnian War erupted, the JNA formally discharged 80,000 Bosnian Serb troops. These troops, who were allowed to keep their heavy weapons, formed the backbone of the newly formed Army of the Republika Srpska.[5]

Aside from being made up largely of ethnic Serbs from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the VRS also included ca. 4,000 foreign Orthodox Christian volunteers. 700 of whom came from Russia, and 300–800 from Bulgaria.[6][7] 100 Greeks also volunteered to fight on the side of the Bosnian Serbs, forming the Greek Volunteer Guard which allegedly participated in the Srebrenica massacre.[8]

After the war, the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina had two armies, that of the VRS and the Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH). AFBiH was itself composed out of two elements, the ARBiH and HVO. The two armies functioned without a common command, on the principle of "non-intervention in the affairs of the other". Bisera Turković noted that it was 'therefore questionable whether in say a foreign attack on Sarajevo [...the VRS] would defend this capital city'. The existence of the two separate armies was one of the factors impeding civil-military relations development.[9] The VRS conducted demining.[10]

In 2003 the army began to integrate into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2005 a fully integrated unit of Serbs, Bosniaks, and Croats was deployed to augment the US-led coalition forces in Iraq.[3] On 6 June 2006, it was fully integrated into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina controlled by the Ministry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[11][12]

The supreme commander of the VRS was General Ratko Mladić,[13] later indicted at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for genocide, as were some other high-ranking Serb officers. Mladić was arrested in Serbia on 26 May 2011.

• Operation Corridor 92 (24 June – 6 October 1992) against Croatian forces; victory
• Operation Vrbas '92 (June – October 1992) against ARBiH and HVO; victory
• Mitrovdan offensive (8–13 November 1992) against HVO, HOS, HV; victory
• Operation Spider (December 1994) against ARBiH; victory
• Battle of Orašje (5 May – 10 June 1995) against Croatian forces; defeat

• Panthers Guard Special Brigade (Garda Panteri) (Специјална бригада Гарда Пантери), East-Bosnian Corps
• Wolves from the Drina, or Drina Wolves (Вукови са Дрине), Drina Corps
• Special Unit "Mando" (Специјална Јединица "Мандо"), East-Bosnian Corps
• Special Unit "Osmaci" (Специјална Јединица "Осмаци"), Drina Corps
• Serb Guard Ilidža (Српска Гарда Илиџа), Sarajevo-Romanija Corps
• White Wolves (Бели Вукови)

Territorial organization of the VRS

Oath-taking Ceremony in 2001 at the Manjača Military Range

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia stated that:

"In July 1995, the Armed Forces of the Republika Srpska were under the command and control of the Commander-in-Chief, Radovan Karadžić. His headquarters was in Pale.[14]

Within the framework of the VRS, immediately subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief, was the Main Staff of the VRS, headquartered in Han Pijesak and commanded by General Ratko Mladic. It was the responsibility of the Commander of the Main Staff to issue regulations, orders and instructions regarding the implementation of orders by the Commander-in-Chief, and to discharge the command duties delegated to him by the Commander-in-Chief. The Main Staff of the VRS consisted of staff officers and staff support personnel, as well as some specialised military units such as: the 65th Protection Regiment, designed to provide protection and combat services for the Main Staff; and the 10th Sabotage Detachment, a unit trained for operations behind enemy lines and other special combat assignments.

The vast majority of the fighting force of the VRS itself was divided into six geographically-based Corps, all subordinate to, and under the command of, General Mladic and, in turn, the Commander-in-Chief, Radovan Karadzic. In July 1995, the six Corps were the Drina Corps, the 1st Krajina Corps, the 2nd Krajina Corps, the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps, the Hercegovina Corps and the East Bosnia Corps."

Formerly known as Ratno Vazduhoplovstva i Protiv Vazdušna Odbrana Vojske Republike Srpske or RV i PVO RS. Beginning on 1 June 2004, the Republika Srpska Air Force was officially called, Prvi Puk Vazduhoplovstva i Protiv Vazdušna Odbrana Vojske Republike Srpske, also known as 1st Aviation Regiment and Air Defence Force of the Republic of Srpska's Army.

• Military ranks of Republika Srpska

• Innes, Michael A. (2006). Bosnian Security after Dayton: New Perspectives. Routledge. ISBN 9780203969014. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
• Ramet, Sabrina P. (2010). Central and Southeast European Politics Since 1989. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781139487504. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
• Thomas, Nigel (2006). The Yugoslav Wars (2): Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia 1992–2001. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781841769646. Retrieved 4 March 2013.