Yugoslavia’s Fighting Forces: A Lopsided Matchup

Croatia and Slovenia, Yugoslavia’s breakaway republics, would be outmanned and outgunned in a war with the federal Yugoslav People’s Army. Here are some facts about the federal army and the forces in Croatia and Slovenia: YUGOSLAV PEOPLE’S ARMY

180,000 troops, including 110,000 conscripts

2,000 tanks

Nearly 400 fighter planes

150 helicopters, most armed with antitank missiles

Troops come from all of Yugoslavia’s myriad ethnic groups. Soldiers from Serbia and Montenegro, the republics most opposed to Yugoslavia’s breakup, make up about 50% of the conscripts and two-thirds of the professional force. But Slovenia has recalled its 4,000 army recruits and urged other ethnic groups to desert. SLOVENIAN FORCES

A force of 68,000 can be mustered to fight

Only enough weapons to arm about 40,000

Some antitank missiles

No armored vehicles

No combat aircraft

Western attaches say Slovenes need years of training to become professional fighters.

Unlike citizens of Croatia, who have been arming themselves in preparation for conflict, few Slovenian civilians have weapons. CROATIAN FORCES

A force of 70,000 can be mustered to fight

Little armor except for several armored personnel carriers used by police to control riots

No military aircraft

Force includes police officers and members of a newly created National Guard.

Living in Croatia are 600,000 ethnic Serbs armed with submachine guns and rifles, who could be joined by thousands of volunteers from neighboring Serbia to try to quash the independence drive.