MAK-NEWS 26/05/95 (Miscellaneous 2/3)

From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" <[email protected]>

Date: Sat, 27 May 1995 15:16:31 +1000

From: Sacha Shopov <[email protected]>

Subject:      MAK-NEWS 26/05/95 (Miscellaneous 2/3)

To: Multiple recipients of list MAKNWS-L <[email protected]>

===================== M A K - N E W S ======================


MAK-NEWS 26/05/95 (Miscellaneous 2/3)


CONTENTS

  • [1] AGE: Bishop flies in from Europe to Bless New Church (Australia).

  • [2] Times: Thanksgiving and Reconciliation - VE-DAY Commemoration.

  • [3] Tanjug: The M-84 ABI - Implications for Tank Production in F-Yugoslavia.

    Comments: This edition of MAK-NEWS contains articles relating to Macedonia and its neighbours, during the past several weeks. Please Note: Unless otherwise stated, articles are reproduced

    without permission for fair use only. ======================== MAK-NEWS ============================

    [1] 08May95 AUSTRALIA: BISHOPS FLY IN FROM EUROPE TO BLESS NEW

    CHURCH. By ELISSA BLAKE. More than 10,000 people attended the consecration of a new Macedonian Orthodox Church in Epping yesterday. The new church called St George and St Mary Holy Mother of God is the largest Macedonian Orthodox Church outside the former yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Very Reverend Spase Stefanovski, said the new church was needed as large numbers of churchgoers moved into the northern suburbs. Nearly 40,000 people in the Orthodox community live in the northern suburbs of Preston, Reservoir, Thomastown and Epping. The new church is expected to attract almost 600 each week. More than 6500 children have been christened in the Orthodox Church since the original St George was built in Fitzroy 35 years ago. And more than 2500 marriages have been registered, including churchgoers from other nationalities and Christian beliefs. "This has contributed towards strengthening and elevating the Christian spirit and deepened the spiritual links with the mother church," Father Stefanovski said. The massive $1.25 million building was blessed by two bishops flown in from the former yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Bishop Petar and His Grace Bishop Stefan. Mr Jim Trajchevski, member of the building committee, said the church was a prominent feature of High Street, Epping. "When it's fully lit up it is almost like the MCG at a night grand final," he said. "This church means a strengthening of the community itself. It's a giant step forward for us," he said. The church was funded by the Orthodox community and designed by Mr George Petridis, a young architecture graduate of Melbourne University. AGE (MELBOURNE)

    [2] 06May95 UK: LEADERS ASSEMBLE FOR THANKSGIVING AND

    RECONCILIATION - VE-DAY COMMEMORATION. By Michael Binyon, Diplomatic Editor. KINGS, Presidents and Prime Ministers from Europe, the Commonwealth and the former Soviet Union began arriving yesterday to take part in the most glittering international celebration Britain has staged since the Coronation. Representatives of 57 nations will attend a banquet at Guildhall tonight, a service of thanksgiving, reconciliation and hope in St Paul's tomorrow morning and a ceremony of music and remembrance in Hyde Park in the afternoon, having been entertained to lunch in Buckingham Palace by the Queen. The criteria for invitation was that the country should have been fought over during the war or that they should have contributed at least a brigade of troops to the European theatre. All the main combatants in Europe will therefore be represented, including those such as Hungary, Austria, Finland, Romania and Italy, which fought for at least part of the war on Germany's side. Germany is doubly represented by its President and its Chancellor. All 15 former Soviet republics have been invited, as the Red Army drew men from every part of the country, including Central Asia. Only two leaders from the former Soviet Union are not coming: President Shevardnadze of Georgia, who was recently in Britain on an official visit and whose country is in turmoil, and President Rakhmonov of Tajikistan, who faces an armed rebellion. Although Yugoslavia saw some of the fiercest partisan fighting during the war, not all the successor states have been invited. No invitations were sent to Serbia, Montenegro or the rump federal Yugoslavia. The invitations to both President Tudjman of Croatia and President Izetbegovic of Bosnia have caused bitterness among many Serbs, because of their wartime suffering at the hands of the pro-Nazi puppet Croat Government as well as today's troubles. The latest upsurge in fighting in the former Yugoslavia makes it doubtful whether both leaders will in fact be present. President Gligorov of the former yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is separated by a wide margin from President Stephanopopulos of Greece, whose country refuses to recognise Mr Gligorov's republic. The Greek leader, elected only in March, comes second from last in protocol order because he is the youngest in office, although his country saw heavy fighting during the war. He is followed by Gibraltar, the only British dependency separately represented. The Commonwealth will be little represented at the weekend ceremonies. Although many soldiers from the colonies especially in Africa joined up, most were sent to fight the Japanese. Special commemorations will be held to mark their wartime service in the VJ-Day commemorations, which will be limited to Commonwealth participants. Two countries that were far from the European theatre have been invited because of their special war efforts. Jordan, then known as Transjordan, declared war on Germany on the same day as Britain. The Arab Legion, under its British commander John Glubb, saw active service in North Africa with Montgomery's forces, fought the Vichy French in Syria and helped to put down the pro-Axis revolt in Iraq. Brazil sent an expeditionary force of 25,000 officers and men to Italy to help the Allied campaign. Brazil declared war in 1942 in response to German attacks on Brazilian ships, and in 1944 became the only Latin American country to send troops to Europe. THE TIMES

    [3] 01May95 YUGOSLAVIA: THE M-84 ABI - IMPLICATIONS FOR TANK

    PRODUCTION IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA. By Dr Miodrag Ivanovic - Robert Carlyle. In December 1994, the official Yugoslav news agency (TANJUG) announced that a consortium, led by the Krusevac-based firm of 14 Oktobar, had produced its first M-84 ABI (Tenk za izvlacenje, armoured recovery vehicle or ARV). This vehicle is based on the Yugoslav-produced M-84A main battle tank (MBT), an improved version of the Soviet T-72. Although the indigenous production of an ARV will certainly add to the combat capability of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), there are other factors which are of even greater significance. Reasons for Production The domestic production of armoured vehicles will be of crucial importance if there is a fresh outbreak of fighting between Serbs and Croats. It is difficult to believe, for instance, that any fighting between Croatia and the Serbian declared republic of Krajina could take place without the intervention of the FRY. The resumption of tank production is important for the latter in order to replace the 300 tanks that were either destroyed or seized when Croatia and Slovenia declared their independence. Moreover, any additional combat losses will naturally need to be replaced. In the longer term, the FRY is likely to be interested in continuing the policy of the former Yugoslavia by exporting armaments to the Third World. Large quantities of munitions and rockets have been sold to Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Libya while aircraft parts and systems were exported to Libya, Romania and the USA. Nevertheless, the most important export, in terms of both reputation and income, has been the M-84A tank. Costing US$1.5 million each, these have been sold to Iraq, Kuwait and Libya, with Kuwait ordering 200 in 1991. Even while the war raged in Croatia, military production and export continued, with a US$1.3 billion order from Syria. (See also JIR, Vol 5, No 11, pp 502-505, and No 12, pp 541-546.) Military Implications of ARV Production ARVs do not have the same high profile as MBTs but they are of crucial importance. Moreover, the latest generation of ARVs are so equipped as to make possible significant repairs rather than just towing damaged vehicles to safety. The M-84 ABI affords Serbia the ability to continue fighting in the Bosnian and Croatian mountains, but it is particularly useful on the muddy flats of Slavonia (the eastern part of Croatia occupied by Serbian forces) which offer good tank country. There are a number of similarities between MBTs and their ARV derivatives. In fact, 13 of the major sub-assemblies of the VT-72B AVR (ARV), which was developed in the former Czechoslovakia, are identical to the original T-72 tank, while 23 assemblies have been partially adapted and 12 are new. It is reasonable to expect a similar degree of commonality between the M-84 ABI and the M-84A, so the question is whether or not it is possible for the FRY to produce MBTs. As Table 1 shows, many factories that produce key tank components lie within the FRY. However, for those suppliers that are located outside the republic, a number either lie within Serb-held territory or have the capacity to produce the needed components. Since the 14 Oktober factory in the FRY has assembled the M-84 ABI, it would seem that the capability to fit heavy armoured vehicles remains. With respect to the engine and running gear, the FMSN, FM, FASV, FAST and FAMOS companies manufactured the majority of components and are, or were, in areas held by the Bosnian Serbs. Moreover, the Zrak company based near Sarajevo and the the Rudi Cajevec company at Banja Luka produce the fire- control system and many other electronic components. Both these firms are located in regions controlled by Bosnian Serb forces. The status of the main gun manufacturer is uncertain. However, Zastava, the company that produced the M- 84A's machine gun, is able to construct 30-40 mm weapons, and reports indicate the firm might be able to produce a 125 mm gun. Although Serbia and Montenegro do not currently have the capacity to produce single-mould turrets, some steel works exist that could make separate pieces which could then be welded together to produce a passable turret. There are no reports about the ability of the FRY to produce either composite armour or laser rangefinders, but this would not be a serious limitation on their use in Bosnia-Herzegovina where tanks are often hull down and used as pill boxes rather than in a mobile anti-armour role. High-grade steel is likely to be the biggest limitation for completely independent tank production. However, if the Serbian factories cannot produce the required quantities or desired quality, there are a number of Eastern European countries from which steel can be bought despite the UN sanction. Table 1 summarizes the information and provides alternative production sites for other components needed to produce a MBT. Additionally, it would appear that the M-84 ABI contains a number of improvements in the power-train over the M-84A. The new ARV is reported to produce 1100 bhp, which is greater than the 1000 bhp produced in the standard MBT. It seems likely that this new, more powerful engine is derived from the V2001 Vihor (Whirlwind) MBT that was under development in the former Yugoslavia before the country disintegrated. Although chassis details are unavailable, the reported increase in power output in the M-84 ABI over earlier models indicates that its hull is likely to be an evolutionary step between that of the T-84A and the V2001. Political Implications of ARV Production The most important implication of M-84 ABI production is that, despite the UN blockade, the FRY has been able to produce a relatively complex armoured vehicle. This feat is even more remarkable given that before the break-up of the country, Yugoslav component suppliers were spread across the different republics. Some of this new productive capacity is probably due to the old Yugoslav policy of matching defence plants in Serbia and Montenegro with those in the other republics. However, it is easy to overstate the importance of this factor as the duplicate plants were often of reduced capacity. Table 2 shows the percentage of M-84A components that were produced in each of the republics of the former Yugoslavia. Except for MBTs, and both rotary and fixed-winged aircraft, the FRY has mostly been able to retain its capability to produce all types of weapons, so the resumption of tank production will be one of the final elements needed for the indigenous production of military material despite the arms embargo. Most analysts had predicted that it would be close to a decade before tank production could resume in the Federal Republic. However, the necessities of wartime appear to have drastically shortened this time. Additionally, presumed financial limitations on defence industry reconstruction seem either to have been overcome or the costs have been accepted. Conclusions For both military and economic reasons, the FRY needs to restart M-84A production as well as development of the V2001 Vihor. It would seem that the FRY is capable (or nearly so) of producing a MBT, although it may be below the quality of those built before the country disintegrated. Even if the FRY is not yet capable of producing a MBT, production of the M-84 ABI will help keep production lines open until the missing components become available. Finally, existing production facilities can produce the spares needed to keep the Federal Army (and possibly Bosnian Serbs) in the field for extended operations. At the political level, this suggests that the Federal Army will have the capacity to produce all types of weapons and spares in anticipation of the resumption of war. Production appears possible despite the UN sanctions/blockade, which is an indication of the growing self-sufficiency of the Federal Republic's arms production. Moreover, once sanctions are eventually lifted, the FRY can resume weapon exports to boost trade and raise much needed foreign exchange. Dr Miodrag Ivanovic and Robert Carlyle are Lecturers at the School of Defence Management, Cranfield University, Shrivenham. Table 1: Manufacturers and Components of Tank M-84A in the Former Yugoslavia -Companies within Republic of Serbia Company.............................Prva Petoletka Town................................Trstenik Structure (%).......................5 Components..........................Hydraulic, precision engineering Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production Company.............................IKS Town................................Svetozarevo Structure (%).......................3 Components..........................Cables, connections Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production Company.............................Sever Town................................Subotica Structure (%).......................2 Components..........................Automatic gunner's device, electrical motors Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production Company.............................MI `Moma Town................................Batajnica Structure (%).......................2 Components..........................Sealer elements

    (gaskets)

    Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production Stanojlovic' Company.............................Teleoptik Town................................Zemun Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Instrumentation Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production Company.............................MRF Town................................Cacak Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Parts for MBTs Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production Company.............................14 Oktobar Town................................Krusevac Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Gears Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................FAST - Hrasnica FRY.................................Continued Production Company.............................Teleoptik Town................................Zemun Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Periscope Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production Company.............................Crvena Zastava Town................................Kragujevac Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Machine guns: 12.7 mm, 7.62 mm Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production Company.............................UTVA Town................................Pancevo Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Fuel tanks, cassette storage Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production Company.............................Petar Drapsin Town................................Beograd Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Castings for engines and rivets Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production Company.............................21 Maj-Rakovica Town................................Rakovica Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Manual mechanism for handling turret Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production Company.............................Rekord Town................................Rakovica Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Rubber products

    (elements)

    Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production Company.............................IKARUS Town................................Zemun Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Refrigerators Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production Company.............................FADIP Town................................Becej Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Hydraulic installations Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production Total 21 -Companies within Montenegro Company.............................KAT Town................................Podgorica Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Aluminium rivets Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production Company.............................Radoje Dakic Town................................Podgorica Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Gear teeth, caterpillars Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production Company.............................Bearing metal Town................................Kotor Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Ball-bearing metal, etc Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Continued Production industry Total 2 -Companies within Republic of Croatia Company.............................Djuro Djakovic Town................................Karlovac Structure (%).......................19 Components..........................Main assembly plant for M-84 Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................14 Oktobar - Krusevac Company.............................TANG Town................................N Gradiska Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Tools Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Sever - Subotica Company.............................DALIT Town................................Daruvar Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Iron castings Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Zelezara - Niksic or Smerderevo Company.............................Sila-Rapid Town................................Zagreb Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................- Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................na Total 21 -Companies within Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Company.............................FMSN Town................................Pale Structure (%).......................5 Components..........................Engines Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Bosnian Serb Held Territory Company.............................FM Town................................Hrasnica Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Parts of engine Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Bosnian Serb Held Territory Company.............................FASV Town................................Hrasnica Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Track guidance systems Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Jelsingrad - Banja Luka Company.............................FAST Town................................Hrasnica Structure (%).......................3 Components..........................Gears for M-84 Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................14 Oktobar - Krusevac FRY.................................14 Oktobar/Miloje zakic -Krusevac Company.............................FAMOS Town................................Ljubuski Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Parts of engine Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................na Company.............................Bratstvo Town................................Travnik Structure (%).......................2 Components..........................Guns (125 mm) Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Crvena Zastava - Kragujevac Company.............................Bratstvo Town................................Travnik Structure (%).......................2 Components..........................Forge Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................MIN - Nis Company.............................Zrak Town................................Sarajevo, Kiseljak Structure (%).......................10 Components..........................Fire control; sighting systems Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Bosnian Serb Held Territory Company.............................Rudi Cajevec Town................................Banja Luka Structure (%).......................9 Components..........................Tank fire control; radars; radios Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Bosnian Serb Held Territory Company.............................UNIS Town................................Gornji Vakuf Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Springs Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................FAP - Priboj na Limu Company.............................UNIS Town................................Tesanj Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Oil pumps for lubrication Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................21 Maj - Beograd Total 34 -Companies within Republic of Macedonia Company.............................MZT Town................................Skoplje Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Track transmitters, filters, rubbers Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................IMT or 21 Maj - Beograd or Tigar -Pirot Company.............................11 Oktomvri Town................................Prilep Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Protecting parts of tanks Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................na Company.............................Bratstvo Town................................Ohrid Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Castings Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................MIN - Nis Company.............................Gazela Town................................Skoplje Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................- Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................na Total 3 -Companies within Republic of Slovenia Company.............................Zeljeznara Town................................Jesenice Structure (%).......................3 Components..........................Composite armour Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Import from Russia, Slovakia or Romania (or lower quality domestically) Company.............................Zeljezare Town................................Ravne Structure (%).......................12 Components..........................Completion of turret Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Import from Russia, Slovakia or Romania (or lower quality domestically) Company.............................Iskra Town................................Ljubljana Structure (%).......................4 Components..........................Laser rangefinding Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Rudi Cajevac - Banja Luka (or Slovenia) Company.............................Saturus Town................................Ljubljana Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Electronic and light equipment Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Tesla - Beograd Company.............................Tvorana Grejni Naprava Town................................Ljubljana Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................Heaters Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................Elind - Kraljevo or Krusin -Raljevo Company.............................TRZ Town................................Bregana Structure (%).......................1 Components..........................- Alternative Production Sites for: Former Yugoslavia...................No Alternatives FRY.................................na Total 19 Table 2: Percentage of M-84 Production in former yugoslav Republics Bosnia and Herzegovina 34 Serbia 21 Croatia 21 Slovenia 19 Macedonia 3 Montenegro 2 Photograph: The M-84A is based on the Russian T-72 but incorporates may improvements to meet the requirements of the Yugoslav army. It has a computerized fire-control system, ballistic data sensors and day/night sights which incorporate a laser rangefinder and second-generation image intensifier. Volume 007/005 (c) Jane's Information Group Limited 1995. JANE'S INTELLIGENCE REVIEW What follows is general info on mak-news: ==================================================================== | MAK-NEWS e elektronska lista koja se odrzuva preku rabota na | | dobrovolci i e pred se rezultat na prilozi od pretplatnicite, | | koi mozhat da se pratat preku e-mail do .. | | (MAK-NEWS is an electronic mailing list which is coordinated by | | volunteers and is a result primarily by subscriber contributions | | which can be emailed to) .. | | [email protected] | | | | Vo princip davame dozvola za povtorna distribucija na napisite | | od MAK-NEWS, so baranje da se navede izvorot na originalot. | | (Permission is generally granted for redistribution of MAK-NEWS | | articles provided original sources are preserved.) | | | |=-=- Email Listserv requests to: [email protected] -=-=| | SUBSCRIBE: subscribe MAKNWS-L Your Name | | SIGNOFF: signoff MAKNWS-L | | MAKNWS-L DIGEST: set MAKNWS-L digest (Optional) | |=-=- -=-=| | The Macedonian "Discussion Group" MAKEDON is accessed similarly. | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-== = MAKNWS-L/MAKEDON Coordinators/Editors: = = Sasa Konecni (Subscriber Database) [email protected] = = Sacha Alexander Shopov (General) [email protected] = = Tihomir Stojcevski (R.Makedonija Miscellaneous) [email protected] = = Steve Saragil (A.M.S.U.T) [email protected] = = Igor Trajkovski [email protected] = = Boris Soposki (MAKEDON Moderator) [email protected] = = Miscellaneous: = = Canadian Macedonian News BBS [email protected] = = Macedonian Information Liason Service [M.I.L.S] [email protected] = = Macedonian Information Center [M.I.C] [email protected] = =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-== UseNet: bit.listserv.makedon & alt.news.macedonia Gopher: In Preparation. 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