Yugoslav Navy

Yugoslav Navy Jugoslavenska Ratna Mornarica Југословенска Pатна Mорнарица
Seal of the Yugoslav Navy
Active	1945–1992
Country	Yugoslavia
Type	Navy
Role	Coastal defence
Size	11,000 personnel 90 vessels
Part of	Yugoslav People's Army
H/Q	Split, SR Croatia (1945–1991) Kotor, SR Montenegro (1991–1992)
Anniversaries	10 September
Engagements	World War II Croatian War of Indep.
Decorations	See article
Disbanded	27 April 1992
Commanders
Last commander	Miodrag Jokić
Insignia
Naval Ensign (1949–1992)
Naval Jack (1963–1992)

The Yugoslav Navy (Serbo-Croatian: Jugoslavenska Ratna Mornarica, Југословенска Pатна Mорнарица), was the navy of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It was essentially a coastal defense force with the mission of preventing enemy landings along the Yugoslavia's rugged 4,000- kilometer shoreline or coastal islands, and contesting an enemy blockade or control of the strategic Strait of Otranto.

In 1990 it had 10,000 sailors (4,400 conscripts), including 2,300 in 25 coastal artillery batteries and 900 marines in one light naval infantry brigade.

The Partisans had operated many small boats in raids harassing Italian convoys in the Adriatic Sea during World War II. After the war, the navy operated numerous German and Italian submarines, destroyers, minesweepers, and tank-landing craft captured during the war or received as war reparations. The United States provided eight torpedo boats in the late 1940s, but most of those units were soon obsolete. Two ex-Royal Navy W-class destroyers were bought in 1956.

The navy was upgraded in the 1960s when it acquired ten Osa-I class missile boats and four Shershen-class torpedo boats from the Soviet Union. The Soviets granted a license to build eleven additional Shershen units in Yugoslav shipyards developed for this purpose.

In 1980 and 1982, the navy took delivery of two Soviet Koni-class frigates. In 1988 it completed two additional units under license. The Koni 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. The Yugoslav navy developed its own submarine-building capability during the 1960s. In 1990 the main combat units of the submarine service were three Heroj class patrol submarines armed with 533 mm torpedoes. Two smaller Sava class units entered service in the late 1970s. Two Sutjeska class submarines had been relegated mainly to training missions by 1990. At that time the navy had apparently shifted to construction of versatile midget submarines. Four Una-class midget submarines and four Mala-class swimmer delivery vehicles were in service in the late 1980s. They were built for use by underwater demolition teams and special forces. The Una-class boats carried five crewmen, eight combat swimmers, four Mala vehicles, and limpet mines. The Mala vehicles in turn carried two swimmers and 250 kilograms of mines.