Armed Forces of Croatia

Formation in the early 1990s In the late spring of 1991, the first military units of the National Guard Corps were formed, established on 20 April 1991. By the decision of the President of the Republic and which, for legal and political reasons, was formally part of the Ministry of the Interior. At that time, a more systematic mobilization of reserve soldiers and the organization of units, commands and institutions began, as well as the planned use of forces. On 1 October 1991, large military-territorial and combat commands (Operational Zones) were formed with headquarters in Osijek, Bjelovar, Zagreb, Karlovac, Rijeka and Split. The domestic industry has become capable of significant independent production of weapons and military equipment. The Croatian Navy was created to a large extent thanks to the successful action of capturing about one quarter of the Yugoslav Navy vessels in Šibenik in 1991. RBS-15 anti-ship missiles were also captured: this system made in Sweden has not yet been put into operation by the Yugoslav Navy, and the Croatian Navy succeeded in doing so after Croatian experts independently developed the "Phobos" fire control system; namely, the Swedish manufacturer was not allowed to deliver that key part of the weapon system. With the introduction of modern missiles with a range of over 70 km into operational use, the Croatian Navy had largely prevented serious action by the enemy navy. The combined Armed Forces were in a wartime activation until 12 March 1996, when they switched to peacetime by the decision of the President of Croatia. 21st century M116 howitzer demonstration, 2020 After the end of the war, several important waves of reforms followed. There was an increasingly visible trend of other transition countries, as well as NATO members, to put emphasis in the development of the armed forces on mobility, on interoperability and flexibility in the use of the armed forces, and not on the mass composition and heavy equipment. The process of reforming the defence system began in 2002. During 2003, the Ministry of defence and the General Staff began working on the Strategic defence Review (SPO), which was adopted in 2005. The first generation of volunteer conscripts began serving in November 2008, after formal military conscription concluded following its 1991 initiation. The Croatian military significantly expanded during the early 2020s due to the regional Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Croatia's deep integration within Europe and with the U.S. has led to modernization as well as joint procurement of advanced military assets. The Croatian Parliament reenacted military conscription in 2025. The Croatian military entered into a regional defence pact with Albania and Kosovo in 2025. Amid the 2026 U.S.-Israeli war in Iran and the related Israeli incursion into Lebanon, the Croatian government preemptively withdrew its troops from Iraq and Lebanon. ==Defence expenditure==

In the post-war early 2000s, Croatia moderated its military budget to accommodate nation-building. During the wartime 1990s defence represented a major stake in Croatian public spending due to then ongoing Croatian War of Independence. In 1995, the Croatian defence budget stood at 12.4 billion Croatian kuna or around 10% of gross domestic product (GDP). Since 1995, Croatia has had the third-highest military expenditure per capita in Southeast Europe according to SIPRI. Approximately €1.14 billion was paid in defence pensions to some 97,000 individuals in Croatia in 2024. Military expenditure has increased markedly, rising 22.2% in 2024 and 18.2% in 2025. It supports bringing defence spending to 5% by 2035. Nearly 29% of defence spending in 2025 will facilitate military modernization to NATO standards, above the 20% NATO obligation. The defence expenditures of Croatia, summarized for the following years as a component of GDP: == Organization ==

oversees its national security. The Armed Forces are divided into branches, services, professions and their specialties. The President is the Commander-in-Chief and exercises administrative powers in times of war by giving orders to the Chief of Staff, while administration and defence policy execution in peacetime is carried out by the Government through the Ministry of Defence. This unified institution consists of land, sea, and air branches referred to as: • Croatian Army (Hrvatska Kopnena Vojska - HKoV) • Croatian Navy (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica - HRM) • Croatian Air Force (Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo - HRZ) The current structure of the Croatian Armed Forces has been in force since 1 December 2014 and consists of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Croatian Army (HKoV), Croatian Navy (HRM), Croatian Air Force (HRZ), Croatian defence Academy (HVU), Support Command (ZZP), Special Forces Command (ZSS), Military Disciplinary Court (VSS), Military representations (VP) and Headquarter support units (PP). • General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces is a joint body organized within the Ministry of Defence which is responsible for the command, preparation and use of the Armed Forces. General Staff commands the entire Armed Forces in accordance with the dictate of the Commander-in-Chief (President of Croatia) and the Minister of Defence and performs other professional activities for the Commander-in-Chief and the Minister of Defence. It also has a number of units under its direct command, including the ZSS, Honour Guard Battalion and several others. • Commands of the branches of the Armed Forces are responsible for the functioning of the branches of the Armed Forces and are responsible for the preparation of subordinate commands and units for the execution of tasks. Branch commands participate in the professional development of personnel and are responsible for the training of active and reserve personnel. • Croatian Defence Academy (HVU), also known as the "Dr. Franjo Tuđman", is a higher educational military institution of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia. It is responsible for the training of individuals for the needs of the entire Croatian Armed Forces. It is located in the "Petar Zrinski" barracks in the Zagreb district of Črnomerec. • Support Command (ZZP) is the most important part of the logistics system of the Croatian Armed Forces and is responsible for the implementation of logistical, medical and part of personnel support for the Croatian Armed Forces. It's responsible for the acquisition and preparation of all State resources allocated to the Armed Forces and for the overall plan of their use and its applicability to operations on the battlefield. • Croatian Special Forces Command (ZSS) is one of the three independent commands of the Croatian Armed Forces, subordinate directly to the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces. CROSOFCOM mission is to ensure the combat readiness of the special operations forces for operations in defence of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Croatia and to participate in NATO and coalition-led operations. • Military representations (VP) represent the Armed Forces and carry out their duties, professional tasks related to participation in the work and monitoring the work of departments, working groups, permanent and temporary bodies at the North Atlantic Alliance, European Union and at the Allied Command Operations and the Allied Command Transformation. • Staff support units (PP) are established for the purpose of developing capabilities for the implementation of various tasks and support activities, which other compositions, due to the specificity or scope, cannot be provided by the Armed Forces within its organic composition. Those units are: Intelligence Center (SOD), Military Police Regiment (PVP), Honor Guard Battalion (PZB), Center for Communication and Information Systems (SKIS), Personnel Management Center (ZUO) and Home of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (DGSOS) Organization chart == Military assets ==

fighter jet in a simulated NATO intercept with the U.S. in 2025 The Croatian Armed Forces maintain a variety of military assets, including weapons, vehicles, aircraft, drones, ships, technology, radar systems, and infrastructure. Croatia has a robust defence industrial base due to its close partnership with the European Union and United States. The Croatian military is among the most technologically-advanced in Southeast Europe. The country is an emerging military supplier to NATO with many of its key military installations on the Adriatic Coast in active use by NATO and the United States Navy. Since Operation Sharp Guard in 1993, the territorial waters of Croatia have been a deterrence asset in Southern Europe for the Croatian Navy and NATO. The Croatian Army has some of the following military assets: 650 AFVs, around 150 pieces of artillery, 105 MLRSs, 75 tanks, and 25 SPGs. The Croatian Air Force has 12 Dassault Rafale F3-R fighter jets, 8 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, d10 Mi-171 combat-transport helicopters and 15 OH-58 Kiowa attack helicopters. The Croatian Navy has 30 ships, out of which five 60-80 metre fast attack craft are used in offensive capabilities. From 2024 to 2025, it purchased 50 Leopard 2A8 from Germany as well as additional Black Hawk helicopters, eight HIMARS rocket launchers and 89 Bradley M2A2 tanks from the United States. Croatia’s has material private sector involvement in the research and development of drone technology used by the Armed Forces. The military has tested Croatian-Estonian technology Vegvisir, a mixed reality digital mapping system that allows for ultra-low latency spatial visibility. It significantly expanded its military drone program through strategic procurements and domestic manufacturing of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in 2024. Croatian robotics company DOK-ING was contracted by German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall to produce an advanced reconnaissance drone fleet for NATO countries. In 2024, it purchased six armed Bayraktar TB2 drones from Turkey. == Personnel ==

As of 2024, the Armed Forces had 13,814 active military personnel with 17,352 reservists. Total available male manpower aged 16–49 numbers 1,035,712, of which 771,323 are technically fit for military service. Croatia has had military conscription (for men aged 18 to 28) since 2025, previously enacted from 1991 to 2008. == Command ==

inspecting Croatian and U.S. troops in 2022 The Commander-in-Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces is the President of Croatia. Command of the Armed Forces in peacetime shall be exercised by the Commander-in-Chief through the Minister of Defence, who shall be responsible to the Commander-in-Chief for the implementation of the order and shall report to him on the implementation. In a state of imminent threat and a state of war, the Commander-in-Chief directly issues orders to the Chief of the General Staff and at the same time informs the Minister of Defence of the issued orders. In this case, the Chief of the General Staff shall be responsible to the Commander-in-Chief for the implementation of the order. If the Minister of defence fails to carry out the orders of the Commander-in-Chief, who may exercise command of the Armed Forces directly through the Chief of the General Staff. Command and direction in the Armed Forces shall be carried out by officers and non-commissioned officers appointed and assigned to command duties in the Armed Forces. Command is based on the principles of single-leadership and subordination. Members of the Armed Forces shall be accountable to their superiors for their work, command and management. For the purpose of establishing a unified system of command and control over all parts of units in the country and abroad, a new organizational unit was established at the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces: the Command Operations Center (ZOS). A unique operational picture is created in the Command Operations Center and enables the conduct of all activities and operations of the Croatian Armed Forces units in the period of up to 96 hours, including the engagement of forces in the execution of tasks of surveillance of the air and sea space of the Republic of Croatia. The Croatian Parliament exercises democratic control over the Armed Forces. ==International cooperation==

United States carrying the American flag through Croatia during a military parade, 2025 over Adriatic Sea, 2002 Croatia and the United States are close military allies and share a robust bilateral defence industrial base. In 1995, the U.S. trained and equipped the Croatian Armed Forces in joint-initiation of Operation Storm during the Croatian War of Independence, securing much of modern Croatian borders. Both are members of NATO, leveraging Croatia's aerospace and defence manufacturing and U.S. military operations to advance multilateral initiatives. After the 2022 Tu-141 drone crash in Zagreb, the U.S. dispatched two F-16 fighter jets in a show of military strength for Croatia. U.S. interests in Croatia are centered on the state's stabilizing influence in the region and extending the global reach of jointly-held Western ideals. Both nations exchange military assets and foreign intelligence. The Croatian diaspora in the U.S. is estimated to be around 1.2 million which, in part, informs the military policy of Croatia. The United States Navy frequently docks naval ships and aircraft carriers in Split, where it maintains a logistical office in the Lora Naval Base. The United States European Command maintains a training facility at this naval base. The Croatian island of Krk has served as a logistics hub for U.S. military supply chains heading to the Middle East. The two nations have deep defence integration and interoperability. The Croatian Armed Forces have a special relationship with the U.S.-based Minnesota National Guard through their State Partnership Program. United Nations , 2009 The Croatian military began its initial participation in UN peacekeeping missions in 1999 by sending 10 members of the Croatian Armed Forces to Sierra Leone for UNAMSIL as peace observers. NATO flag on display in Zagreb, 2009 Croatia has been an active participant in NATO military interventions since February 2003, with an initial deployment of Croatian military police to Afghanistan for NATO's ISAF mission. The Croatian government provided over €300 million in military aid to Ukraine as part of broader efforts within NATO that year. == Foreign engagements ==

The Croatian Armed Forces have been deployed around the world for military engagements, peacekeeping missions, and multilateral campaigns. Since 1999, over 6,000 Croatian troops have participated in foreign military interventions. They have deployed to multiple NATO, UN, EU, and American-led missions in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. == See also ==