Croatian armed forces

Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia Oružane snage Republike Hrvatske
guide
Commander in Chief :	Zoran Milanovic
Defense Minister:	unoccupied
Military Commander:	Admiral Robert Hranj
Military strength
Active soldiers:	15,000 (2020)
Reservists:	102,700 (40,000 Home Guard)
Conscription:	Abolished since 2009
Resilient population:	1,612,000
Eligibility for military service:	16 for voluntary service
household
Military budget:	$ 1 billion (2019)
Share of gross domestic product :	1.5% (2011)
history
Founding:	September 26, 1991

The Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia ( Croatian Oružane snage Republike Hrvatske ) are the linked armed forces of Croatia and their affiliated organizations and structures. Colloquially, the armed forces are usually referred to as "Hrvatska vojska" (Croatian Army).

Croatia has been a member of NATO since April 2009 .

history

Croatian and Bosnian wars

Croatian soldiers (1992)

During the Croatian War , the Croatian armed forces were formed on September 26, 1991 mainly from the National Guard of Croatia ( Zbor narodne garde Republike Hrvatske , ZNG RH). But also from the mostly unarmed volunteer youth units ( Dobrovoljački odredi Jugoslavije , DOJ) and the civil defense (Narodna zaštita, NZ).

During the Croatian and Bosnian wars , the Croatian armed forces were involved in the following military operations:

• Battle for Vukovar (1991)
• Siege of Dubrovnik (1991–1992)
• Operation Maslenica (1993)
• Operation Bljesak (1995)
• Operation Oluja (1995)
• Operation Maestral (1995)

present

Honor guard of the Croatian Armed Forces on the French National Day in Paris (2013)

The Croatian armed forces are currently in a process of transformation and modernization, which should be completed in 2015. This also includes compliance with NATO standards. To achieve this, more than 15 billion kuna (around 2.1 billion euros) will be invested in the military by 2015 to ensure the modernization of the armed forces. By 2010, the share of GDP in the military should be 2.0% (today: 1.71%).

The following important information is missing from this article or section:

The year 2010 is over. Did that work out with the increase in spending? - Flominator 11:31, Jan. 17, 2012 (CET)

Help Wikipedia by researching and pasting it .

The most important and largest projects here are the procurement of 126 modern wheeled armored vehicles (decision was made on August 3, 2007 for the Finnish AMV Patria), the modernization of all remaining battle tanks to the M84D level (except for the M-95 Degman turret ), the Procurement of 12 modern fighters (probably Saab JAS-39 Gripen , Eurofighter Typhoon or General Dynamics F-16 ) and 10 helicopters (Mil-Mi17), procurement of 50,000 new assault rifles in NATO caliber as well as several ships and speedboats for the Navy. After older or no longer required weapon systems have been decommissioned, all remaining weapon systems and facilities are modernized.

The new HS assault rifle product VHS is currently ^[obsolete] .

The process of conversion includes the abolition of conscription from 2008 and the establishment of a professional task force and a volunteer army. Around 800 soldiers are to be constantly involved in international peace missions ( Partnership for Peace ). Large quantities of heavy weapons such as tanks and heavy artillery are being decommissioned and the army is being converted from the previous territorial defense to modern, mobile and fast units.

Assignments abroad

Portions of this section since 2006 seem out of date to be .
Please help to research and insert the missing information .

Croatian soldier and US National Guard in training for use in Afghanistan

Croatian troops have been part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan ( ISAF ) since November 2003 , under the direction of NATO (formation of a regional development team for trade in the city of Kunduz and demilitarization programs). In the course of 2006 the contingent is to be increased from 50 soldiers to 150. Increase to 300 men by the end of 2008.

The Croatian armed forces are also used for peacekeeping and peacekeeping measures within the framework of the United Nations :

• UNAMSIL in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL - United Nations Assistance Mission to Sierra Leone)
• MINURSO in Western Sahara (MINURSO - United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara)
• UNMOGIP in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP - United Nations military observer group in India and Pakistan)
• UNMEE in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE - United Nations mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea)

Organization and structure

Supreme command

Ministarstvo obrane Republike Hrvatske (Ministry of Defense) in Zagreb

Order of commanders in chief of all Croatian military forces:

1. President of the Republic of Croatia
2. Minister of Defense
3. Deputy Minister for Defense
4. Chief of Staff
5. General Inspector of the Croatian Army
6. Deputy Chief of Staff
7. General inspectors of the individual units (army, air force and navy)
8. Commander in Chief of the individual military districts

Armed forces

army

Soldiers of the Croatian Army

Croatian soldiers during an exercise at the US Army JMRC in Hohenfels, Germany

M-84 main battle tanks during a parade

The Croatian Army ( Hrvatska kopnena vojska , HKoV for short) currently comprises around 16,500 soldiers.

It is equipped with 78 tanks of the type M-84 A1-A4 . Their modernization program is currently running to the level of the Degman II prototype under the designation M84D . There are also 202 armored vehicles and armored personnel carriers , 400 artillery pieces caliber 100-203 mm, 80 rocket launchers cal. 60 - 282 mm, about 400 anti-tank missiles of the types MILAN , Maljutka , Metis , bankruptcy and Fagot and 600 grenade launchers Kal . 80 - 120 mm. The first batch (84 units) of the new Finnish infantry fighting vehicle Patria AMV is currently being received and is to be completed by 2010. The second tranche (48 pieces) is to expire from 2010.

The following important information is missing from this article or section:

The year 2010 is over. Did that work with the first delivery? What about the second? - Flominator 11:31, Jan. 17, 2012 (CET)

Help Wikipedia by researching and pasting it .

The formations of the army correspond to the following structure:

• 1 Desetina ( troop ) approx. 10 - 15 men (Pl. Desetine)
• 1 Vod ( Zug ) corresponds to 3–4 Desetina approx. 50 - 60 men (Pl. Vodovi)
• 1 Satnija ( company ) corresponds to 3–4 Vod approx. 200 - 250 men (Pl. Satnije)
• 1 Bojna ( battalion ) corresponds to 3–4 Satnija approx. 500 - 600 men (Pl. Bojne)
• 1 Pukovnija ( regiment ) corresponds to 1–2 Bojna approx. 800 - 1200 men (Pl. Pukovnije)
• 1 Brigada ( Brigade ) corresponds to 3–5 Bojna (2000-5000 men) (Pl. Brigade)
• 1 Zborno Područje ( Corps ) A corps district consists of several brigades or regiments and is named after a larger town, e.g. E.g .: Zborno Područje Split (from 5000 men) (Pl.Zborovi)

Air Force and Air Defense

→ Main articles : Croatian Air Force and Air Defense

Croatian MiG-21UMD "Mongol" , called kockica (cube)

The Croatian Air Force and Air Defense ( Hrvatsko ratno zrakoplovstvo i protuzračna obrana , HRZiPZO for short) are 2,300 men strong.

The air force has 12 combat , 20 training and 10 transport aircraft as well as 45 transport, training and combat helicopters.

The air defense subordinate to the air force has around 300 anti-aircraft guns and flak tanks in caliber 20-57 mm and around 400 portable air defense systems of the Strela-10 and Igla types .

Navy

Soldiers of the Croatian Navy on the national holiday

The Croatian Navy ( Hrvatska ratna mornarica , HRM for short) and coastal defense has 2,500 men. These include marines and combat divers .

The Navy has five high-speed rocket boats and around 25 high-speed torpedo boats , patrol and supply ships, as well as three long-range mobile batteries with anti-ship missiles.

A civil division of the Navy is the Croatian Coast Guard .

Personnel structure and conscription

Graded according to reaction time, degree of threat and alertness, the Croatian Army also has up to approx. 110,000 reservists.

The military service was reduced to six months since 2003 (alternatively eight months community service ); In 2009 conscription was completely abolished. Most of the problems currently still have to be overcome with the age structure of the army servants. A large number of members of the Croatian army have already been dismissed or sent into early retirement, which led to resentment among the population, as many soldiers served in the Croatian war and now it is often difficult to achieve a regular income. Nevertheless, rejuvenation and professionalization are strictly adhered to. Veterans organizations and the government have made increasing efforts in recent years to promote repatriation and employment programs for military exuders.

On January 1, 2008, the government decided to suspend compulsory military service. The traditional collection (until further notice) does not take place any more, but the conscription still exists.

structure

equipment

Croatian soldiers of the 1st Guard Brigade "Tiger" in the Karst during a maneuver on the military training area "Eugen Kvaternik" (2012).

The majority of the weapon systems, the armament and equipment of the Croatian Army come from Russian and Eastern production, looted weapons from the Croatian war , imports from numerous countries and from many different manufacturers as a result of the arms embargo in force at the time, as well as stocks from the former Yugoslav armaments industry. The army has been in the process of transformation, adapting and adapting to NATO standards since 2000. The army is currently being downsized, professionalized and modernized, and more and more weapon systems are being replaced or supplemented by modern western systems.

The Croatian armaments industry employs approx. 20,000 people who manufacture a wide range of small arms, spare parts, equipment, accessories and ammunition for both the Croatian armed forces and for export, including some of the products listed below.

The Croatian army uses a mini submachine gun from its own production, similar to the Israeli " Uzi ". This is called " Ero ".

The pistol Hrvatski samokres ( HS2000 ) (roughly translated: Croatian self-firing weapon ) from IM Metal from Ozalj near Karlovac is the pistol of the Croatian military police in the ISAF contingent . The weapon is also used by the New York Police Department ( NYPD ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) under the designation Springfield XD and is currently being tested for the new service pistol of the US Army and thanks to its good value for money Ratio and the high quality of increasing popularity worldwide, in addition to the police and the military also in the field of sport shooting.

Further in-house developments are the heavy tactical sniper rifle RT-20 in 20 mm caliber, the semi-automatic 40 mm grenade launcher RBG 6, the continued construction of the modified tank M-84 A4 and its further development in the Degman II prototype and much more

Almost all ships and weapon systems of the Navy are built in Croatia, not least because of the large shipbuilding capacities along the Adriatic coast.

The first European service center for protective masks is soon to go into operation in Croatia , in which the service, design and production of protective masks will be realized in cooperation with Finnish experts.

Other accessories for the Croatian army are also all made by local companies. (e.g. multifunctional Kevlar helmets, protective vests, rucksacks, jackets, shoes, etc.). Many products already meet Western European standards. Some products are now exported worldwide. In Slavonia , the Đuro hergestelltaković company produces tanks ( M-84 -A4 and Degman-II ).

On August 3, 2007, the Croatian government decided to purchase 84 wheeled armored vehicles (Patria AMV) in the 8 × 8 configuration from the Finnish manufacturer "Patria"; the tender is still pending for 42 more in the 6 × 6 configuration.

Ranks

Army as well as Air Force and Air Defense

Ranks for generals
					Note: The 5 star ranks (OF-10) are only awarded in times of war. Only the chief of staff is given the fourth star (general or admiral).
Brigadni General ( Brigadier General OF-6)	General Bojnik ( Major General OF-7)	General Pukovnik ( Lieutenant General OF-8 direct translation Colonel General )	General Zbora ( General OF-9)	Stožerni General ( Army General OF-10)
Ranks for officers
Poručnik ( Lieutenant OF-1A)	Natporučnik ( First Lieutenant OF-1B)	Satnik ( Captain OF-2)	Bojnik ( Major OF-3)	Pukovnik ( Lieutenant Colonel OF-4)	Brigadir ( Colonel OF-5)
Ranks for NCOs
Skupnik ( NCO )	Desetnik ( staff sergeant )	Narednik ( Sergeant )	Nadnarednik ( Oberfeldwebel )	Stožerni Narednik ( Sergeant )	Časnički Namjesnik ( Staff Sergeant )
Ranks for teams
Pozornik ( Corporal )	Razvodnik ( corporal )

Navy

Ranks for admirals
					Note: The 5 star ranks (OF-10) are only awarded in times of war. Only the chief of staff is given the fourth star (general or admiral).
Komodor ( Commodore OF-6)	Rear Admiral ( Rear Admiral OF-7)	Viceadmiral ( Vice Admiral OF-8)	Admiral ( Admiral OF-9)	Admiral Flote (Fleet Admiral OF-10)
Ranks for officers
Poručnik Korvete ( Corvette Lieutenant OF-1A)	Poručnik Fregate ( Frigate Lieutenant OF-1B)	Poručnik Bojnog Broda ( Lieutenant OF-2)	Kapetan Korvete ( Korvettenkapitän OF-3)	Kapetan Fregate ( Frigate Captain OF-4)	Kapetan Bojnog Broda ( line captain OF-5)
Ranks for NCOs
Skupnik ( boatswain )	Desetnik (chief boatman )	Narednik (chief boatman )	Nadnarednik ( Oberfähnrich zur See )	Stožerni Narednik ( Staff Officer )	Časnički Namjesnik ( Chief Staff Officer )
Ranks for teams
Pozornik ( Corporal )	Razvodnik ( corporal )

Flags

• Navy
• 

  Naval flag

• 

  Fleet Admiral Flag

See also

• National Guard (Croatia)
• "Eugen Kvaternik" military training area near Slunj
• Croatian armed forces in World War II
• Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia

Web links

Commons : Croatian Armed Forces  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Croatian Armed Forces website. Retrieved December 12, 2015 . 
• Website of the Croatian Ministry of Defense. Retrieved December 12, 2015 . 
• vojska.net: Croatian Armed Forces. Accessed December 12, 2015 . 

literature

• The armed forces of the Republic of Croatia . In: Austrian Armed Forces (Ed.): TRUPPENDIENST. Journal for training, leadership and deployment in the Austrian Armed Forces . No. 334 , 2013 ( bundesheer.at ).
• Hrvatsko ratno znakovlje . [Croatian war badges]. Vols 1-3, 1992-1994. Zagreb.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Potpredsjednik Vlade i ministar obrane https://vlada.gov.hr , accessed on March 7, 2020 (Croatian).
2. ↑ ^{a b c} Croatia Military Strength. Current military capabilities and available firepower for 2016 detailed Globalfirepower, accessed on December 31, 2016 (English).
3. ^ HP: Croatia (Croatia). GlobalDefence.net, October 22, 2008, archived from the original on November 20, 2010 ; Retrieved June 29, 2009 . 
4. ↑ CIA World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency, June 12, 2009, accessed June 29, 2009 . 
5. ↑ https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/Data%20for%20all%20countries%20from%201988%E2%80%932019%20in%20constant%20%282018%29%20USD.pdf
6. ^ Financial and Economic Data Relating to NATO Defense. (PDF; 99 kB) Press Release Communique PR / CP (2012) 047, NATO Public Diplomacy Division, April 12, 2012.
7. ↑ ( Page no longer available , search in web archives: Long-term modernization plan of the Croatian military ) (Croatian).
8. ↑ sabor.hr