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Th e commitment of SVK forces under the proposed Plan depends essentially on the
provision of ammunition and fuel. According to the plan, the fi rst stage would last 15-
20 days and the second 10-15 days. Th erefore, war with the HV could last 25-35 days.
Calculations have turned up the following basic load requirements for a 30-day war:
a) Armoured-mechanized units: basic combat load (b/l) 4.5; available 2.5 b/l; shortage 2
b/l. Fuel requirement: 8 full charges (f/c); available 0.2 f/c; shortage 7.8 f/c or 2,400 tons
of fuel.
b) Artillery: the situation for artillery ammunition varies depending on the type of the
weapon. Availability is the best for B-176 mm fi eld guns (7.05 b/l), 152 mm fi eld guns
(8.73 b/l), D-20 122 mm howitzers (4.05 b/l) and 130 mm fi eld guns (5.32 b/l). Supply
is the lowest in the company and battalion fi re groups, brigade artillery groups and the
corps artillery group (128 mm Oganj).
Reserves for a 30-day war call for the following supplies: 82 mm mortars, 3 b/l; 120
mm mortars, 2.88 b/l: 128 mm Oganj, 2.13 b/l; 105 mm howitzers, 1.16 b/l; 9M 14 antitank
guided missiles, 0.74 b/l. Th e calculations are based on target estimates and actual
available ammunition supplies.
c) Infantry weapons: with respect to issue requirements (4.5 b/l), the shortages are the
following: automatic rifl e, 3.336 b/l; semiautomatic rifl e, 2.95 b/l; M-84 machine gun,
3.82 b/l; 7.9 mm machine gun, 3.75 b/l; sniper rifl e, 2.27 b/l; 12.7 mm Browning machine
gun, 2.59 b/l; hand grenades, 2.20 b/l.
Conclusion:
In case of aggression aft er the possible withdrawal of UNPROFOR and in conditions
where the RSK would only be defended by the SVK without the help of the VJ and VRS,
success is possible only with a total involvement of all state resources and readiness to
accept a high casualty toll and accommodation to the most rigorous conditions of a
struggle for survival. Moreover, due attention should be paid to the fact that the SVK
cannot deal on its own with problems such as the readiness of the troops and offi cers to
withstand all the hardships imposed by the war, and the provision of required materiel,
primarily ammunition, weapons, equipment etc. Th e current military and political
situation and the actions of the Croatian army require a high degree of combat readiness,
and that in its turn implies the recruitment of a high number of conscripts for SVK units.
On the other hand, this does not match the requirements of the economy and its eff orts
to revive production. Th is contradiction must be resolved jointly in a way which will not
disrupt SVK combat readiness.
214
3. VJ INVOLVEMENT
Th e third variant of the Plan considers defence by the SVK with some commitment of
the Army of Yugoslavia, primarily in Baranja, Eastern Slavonia and Western Srem. It has
been developed in a special Appendix which will be fi led along with the Plan of SVK
Commitment.