TheArmed Forces of the Republic of Croatia (Croatian:Oružane snage Republike Hrvatske –OSRH) are the nationalmilitary forces ofCroatia. The Croatian military consists of three service branches: theCroatian Army, theCroatian Navy and theCroatian Air Force. The OSRH is headed by thePresident of Croatia ascommander-in-chief while defense policy is overseen by theGovernment of Croatia. The military supports theforeign policy of Croatia and international security initiatives. It is the sole military wing of theCroatian security and intelligence system.
Since theCroatian War of Independence (1991-1995), the Armed Forces haveplayed a key role in protecting territorial integrity. In the post-war early 2000s, Croatia moderated defense spending to accommodatenation-building. The military's first foreign deployment was to theWar in Afghanistan, in 2003, later joining the military allianceNATO in 2009. Croatia maintains a close security and foreign intelligence relationshipwith NATO andthe United States. The military has been deployed to variousUnited Nations (UN)-led and NATO-led peacekeeping missions. Since joining theEuropean Union (EU) in 2013, it became a part of theEU defense forces.
The Armed Forces have seen significant militarization and modernization since the early 2020s due to regional geopolitical risk. Its deep integration within Europe and the U.S. has led to moderndefense pacts and a robustdefense industrial base. The Croatian military is among the mosttechnologically-advanced in Southeast Europe.[3][4] Croatia has hadmilitary conscription since 2025, previously enacted from 1991 to 2008. The Armed Forces are spread acrosscontinental Croatia and capital cityZagreb, with the Navy largely based inSplit.
In the late spring of 1991, the first military units of theNational 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. In addition to the structures and units that were created by state policy, there were alsoparamilitaries. The Croatian Party of Rights organized its armed detachments, theCroatian defense Forces (HOS), which were privately armed, relatively well trained and trained at the tactical level, and deployed to critical positions on the battlefields. The Party of Democratic Change (Reformed Communists, SDP) armed its activists in Istria, the Littoral and Dalmatia, as did the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) in other parts of Croatia. In some places, the TO system was reactivated (e.g. in Zagreb), which gave better results.
The system of command and control was initially critically confused, and the competencies were vague and unclear. The ZNG was thus under the dual jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Defense. A large part of the command in the field was transferred to local crisis staffs composed and led by political officials who did not necessarily have military knowledge broader than those they had acquired during their conscription service in theJNA. There were often several different units in the field, which, even if they were nominally in the same organization, often did not have a common higher command.
The main tasks of the ZNG (later HV) were to prevent the penetration of the JNA and other forces in the most important directions, to defend cities and critical areas, and to conquer JNA barracks in the depth of their own deployment. These tasks began to be fulfilled more comprehensively and systematically only after the armed forces were organized into a single Croatian Army (HV) on the basis of the new defense Law, and when the General Staff was established on 21 September 1991, with Chief General Anton Tus as its Chief. 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. Subordinate to them were operational groups that commanded certain directions and areas. The basic and at the same time the highest tactical units were infantry brigades (professional and reserve), and brigades and battalions of other branches were also formed. By the end of the year, 63 brigades had been formed and developed.
During the Homeland War, the armed forces gradually grew to about 300,000 members. Most of the units were filled from the reserve, i.e. from the personnel who acquired basic military knowledge during their compulsory military service in the Yugoslav People's Army. Thanks to the growing military experience, the quality of these units grew, and the organization of the entire system improved over time.
The training of new generations of 18-year-old young men who served in the Croatian Army continued, whereby army units during military service were generally not used for combat tasks (young men would mostly receive call-ups for combat units soon after completing their compulsory military service).
As the war progressed, through clandestine operations (the legal procurement of military equipment for the war-torn territory of the former Yugoslavia was prevented), significant amounts of military surpluses created after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact were purchased; in particular, the procurement of combat aircraft of Soviet origin was significant for the formation of the Croatian Air Force. The Croatian Air Force had included about twentyMiG 21 aircraft[5] and severalMil Mi-24 combat helicopters, as well as several transport helicopters. The domestic industry has become capable of significant independent production of weapons and military equipment.[6]
The Croatian Navy was created to a large extent thanks to the successful action of capturing about one quarter of the Yugoslav Navy vessels inŠibenik in 1991.RBS-15 anti-ship missiles were also captured:[7] 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 has largely prevented serious action by the enemy navy.
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia were in a wartime activation until 12 March 1996, when they switched to peacetime by the decision of the President of Croatia.[8]
With the stabilization of the situation 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 multifunctionality and flexibility in the use of the armed forces, and not on the mass composition and heavy equipment. Economic over-demanding and conceptual inadequacy, i.e. the inapplicability of the old Cold War conception became obvious. New security threats and a new international constellation called for deeper changes in the way armed forces were designed. The process of reforming the defense system began in 2002. The aim of the reform and reorganization is to establish a modern structure of the defense system that will be able to respond to the challenges of the new era, taking into account the membership of the Republic of Croatia in NATO and security arrangements within the European Union.[9] The main guidelines for the reform are set by strategic documents adopted by the Republic of Croatia: the National Security Strategy of the Republic of Croatia, the defense Strategy of the Republic of Croatia, the Military Strategy of the Republic of Croatia. During 2003, the Ministry of defense and the General Staff began working on theStrategic defense Review (SPO), which was adopted in 2005. With the adoptionof the Long-Term Development Plan of the Croatian Armed Forces 2006 – 2015 (DPR) in the Croatian Parliament on 7 July 2006, clear content and time frames for further reform, development and modernization of the Croatian Armed Forces in the next ten years were set.
The essence of the changes consists in the gradual transition from Croatian individual (national) to collective defense and security mechanisms, and this also implies:
In 2007, the Decision was made not to call up recruits for military service which represented an important step towards the professionalization of the Croatian Armed Forces, which implies the abolition of compulsory military service and the introduction of voluntary military service.[10] The first generation of volunteer conscripts began serving in November 2008, after formalmilitary conscription concluded following its 1991 initiation.[11]
The Croatian military significantly expanded during the early 2020s due to the regionalRussian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.[12] Croatia's deep integration within Europe and with the U.S. has led to modernization as well as joint procurement of advanced military assets.[13] TheCroatian Parliament reenacted military conscription in 2025.[14][15] The Croatian military entered into a regionaldefense pact withAlbania andKosovo in 2025.[16]
In the post-war early 2000s, Croatia moderated itsmilitary budget to accommodatenation-building. During the wartime 1990s defense represented a major stake in Croatian public spending due to then ongoingCroatian War of Independence. In 1995, the Croatian defense budget stood at 12.4 billionCroatian kuna or around 10% ofgross domestic product (GDP). Since 1995, Croatia has had thethird-highest military expenditure per capita inSoutheast Europe according toSIPRI.[17] Approximately €1.14 billion was paid in defense pensions to some 97,000 individuals in Croatia in 2024.[18][19] Military expenditure has increased markedly, rising 22.2% in 2024 and 18.2% in 2025.[11] Croatia brought its defense budget to 2% of GDP in 2025.[13] It intends to grow defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2030, commensurate witheconomic growth in Croatia.[20] It supports bringing defense spending to 5% by 2035.[21] Nearly 29% of defense spending in 2025 will facilitate military modernization to NATO standards, above the 20% NATO obligation.[22]
The defense expenditures of Croatia, summarized for the following years as a component of GDP:[23][24][25][13]
| Year | Defense expenditure | % of GDP | % change |
| 2021 | $1.361 billion | 1.95 |  38.4 |
| 2022 | $1.285 billion | 1.78 |  5.5 |
| 2023 | $1.441 billion | 1.74 | 12.1 |
| 2024 | $1.624 billion | 1.81 | 12.7 |
The Armed Forces are divided into branches, services, professions and their specialties. ThePresident is the Commander-in-Chief and exercises administrative powers in times of war by giving orders to the Chief of Staff, while administration and defense policy execution in peacetime is carried out by theGovernment through theMinistry of defense. This unified institution consists of land, sea, and air branches referred to as:
Branches of the Armed Forces are parts of the Armed Forces within which the preparation and equipping of individuals, units and purpose-built forces are carried out for the execution of tasks in certain geographical areas (land, sea, air) whose primary task is to maintain the required level of combat readiness of operational units.
The armed forces have a peacetime and a wartime composition. The peacetime composition of the Armed Forces consists of active military personnel, civil servants and employees assigned to the Armed Forces, reservists called up for training, contract reservists, cadets and persons who have received voluntary military training. Exceptionally, the peacetime composition of the Armed Forces also consists of conscripts whencompulsory military service is in force. The wartime composition of the Armed Forces, in addition to military personnel, civil servants, employees and conscripts (when compulsory military service is in force), also consists of conscripts mobilized into the Armed Forces.
The current structure of the Croatian Armed Forces has been in force since 1 December 2014 and consists of theGeneral Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Croatian Army (HKoV), Croatian Navy (HRM), Croatian Air Force (HRZ), Croatian defense Academy (HVU), Support Command (ZZP),Special Forces Command (ZSS), Military Disciplinary Court (VSS), Military representations (VP) and Headquarter support units (PP).[26]
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The Croatian Armed Forces maintain a variety of military assets, including weapons, vehicles, aircraft, drones, ships, technology, radar systems, and infrastructure. Croatia has a robustdefense industrial base due to its close partnership with the European Union and United States.[27] The Croatian military is among the mosttechnologically-advanced in Southeast Europe.[3][4] Croatia signedAnnex 1-B of theDayton Agreement in 1996, establishing a regional notification and data exchange program for select military assets.[28] The country is an emerging military supplier toNATO with many of its keymilitary installations on theAdriatic Coast in active use by NATO and theUnited States Navy. SinceOperation Sharp Guard in 1993, theterritorial waters of Croatia have been adeterrence asset in Southern Europe for the Croatian Navy and NATO.[29][30]
TheCroatian Army has some of the following military assets: 650AFVs, around 150 pieces ofartillery, 105MLRSs, 75tanks, and 25SPGs. TheCroatian Air Force has 12Dassault Rafale F3-R fighter jets, 8UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, d10Mi-171 combat-transport helicopters and 15OH-58 Kiowa attack helicopters. TheCroatian Navy has 30 ships, out of which five 60-80 metre fast attack craft are used in offensive capabilities.[3] Following the2022 Zagreb Tu-141 crash, the Croatian military promptly acquiredsurface-to-air missile (SAM) air defense systemsMistral andVL MICA.[31][32] From 2024 to 2025, it purchased 50Leopard 2A8 from Germany as well as additional Black Hawk helicopters, eightHIMARS rocket launchers and 89Bradley M2A2 tanks from the United States.[33][34]
Croatia’s has material private sector involvement in the research and development of drone technology used by the Armed Forces.[35] The military has tested Croatian-Estonian technology Vegvisir, amixed reality digital mapping system that allows for ultra-low latencyspatial visibility.[36] It significantly expanded itsmilitary drone program through strategic procurements and domestic manufacturing ofunmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in 2024.[35] During the 1990s the military was known for its covert aerial surveillance drone program, later becoming one of the first countries to use armed drones in active warfare in 1993.[35] Since 2025, it has a planned annual production of 500,000 combat drones as part ofbroader European and NATO rearmament.[37] Croatian robotics companyDOK-ING was contracted by German arms manufacturerRheinmetall to produce an advanced reconnaissance drone fleet for NATO countries.[38] In 2024, it purchased six armedBayraktar TB2 drones from Turkey.[39]
In 2023, the Armed Forces had 15,900 members, of which 14,103 were active military personnel and 1,806 civil servants.[40] Total available male manpower aged 16–49 numbers 1,035,712, of which 771,323 are technically fit for military service. Croatia usedmilitary conscription (for men aged 18 to 28) from 1991 to 2008, with conscription for all men aged 18 to 30 expected to resume in 2025.[41][11]
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The Commander-in-Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces is thePresident of the Republic of Croatia.[42] Command of the Armed Forces in peacetime shall be exercised by the Commander-in-Chief through the Minister of defense, 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 theChief of the General Staff and at the same time informs theMinister of defense 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 defense 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.[43]
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).[44] 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. TheCroatian Parliament exercises democratic control over the Armed Forces.
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Croatia and the United States areclose military allies and share a robust bilateraldefense industrial base.[45][46][47] In 1995, the U.S. trained and equipped the Croatian Armed Forces in joint-initiation ofOperation Storm during theCroatian War of Independence, securing much of modernCroatian borders.[48][49] Both are members ofNATO, leveraging Croatia's aerospace and defense manufacturing and U.S. military operations to advance multilateral initiatives.[50] After the2022 Tu-141 drone crash in Zagreb, the U.S. dispatched twoF-16 fighter jets in a show ofmilitary strength for Croatia. U.S. interests in Croatia are centered on the state'sstabilizing influence in the region and extending the global reach of jointly-heldWestern ideals. Both nations exchange military assets and foreign intelligence. TheCroatian diaspora in the U.S. is estimated to be around 1.2 million which, in part, informs themilitary policy of Croatia. The U.S. and Croatia work together within 11 separate military programs, funds and initiatives.[51]
TheUnited States Navy frequently docks naval ships and aircraft carriers inSplit, where it maintains a logistical office in theLora Naval Base.[52] TheUnited States European Command maintains a training facility at this naval base.[53] The Croatian island ofKrk has served as a logistics hub for U.S. military supply chains heading to the Middle East.[54] The two nations have deep defence integration and interoperability.[55] The Croatian Armed Forces have a special relationship with the U.S.-basedMinnesota National Guard through their State Partnership Program.[56]
The Croatian military began its first participation in theUN peacekeeping mission in 1999 by sending 10 members of the Croatian Armed Forces to the peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone -UNAMSIL as peace observers. In addition to UN peacekeeping missions, in February 2003, with the participation of Military Police platoons in NATO'sISAF mission in Afghanistan, Croatia also began its engagement in NATO missions. In October 2008, for the first time, a reconnaissance team (15 members) has been deployed to the EU peacekeeping mission (EUFOR) in Chad and the Central African Republic for 6 months.[57]
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Croatian soldiers have been participating in theKFOR operation in Kosovo since July 2009 when the first HRVCON was sent with 20 members and two Mi-171Sh transport helicopters. The contingents consisted of an infantry company, an air component (located at the Bondsteel base), national support components (command group, intelligence support team, national support element and mobile medical team), a reconnaissance team. In addition, the Croatian Armed Forces also participate with the staff of KFOR HQ and advisors in the NALT team, who are located in the "Film City" camp, KFOR HQ in Pristina.
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Croatia participates inNATO's Enhanced Forward Presence operation in Poland and Lithuania. The first Croatian contingent went to Poland in October 2017, the second in March 2018, and in October of the same year, the 3rd Croatian contingent (HRVCON eFPBG – USA) was deployed to the northeast of Poland to the military training ground "Bemowo Piskie" and took over the tasks of its predecessors. The 4th HRVCON is currently in Poland, together with members of the armed forces of Romania and Great Britain and are part of the Battle Group led by the United States of America, which is attached to the 15th Mechanized Brigade of the Republic of Poland. The backbone of the contingent consists of members of the Artillery and Missile Battalion of the Guards Mechanized Brigade with a battalion of self-propelled multiple rocket launchers Vulkan, staff working as part of the BGP Command, as well as the Military Police team and the national support element with associated weapons, equipment and vehicles.
In November 2017, the 1st Croatian Contingent ofNATO's Enhanced Forward Presence went to Lithuania, where they participated in this NATO activity as part of the German-led Battle Group (1st HRVCON eFPBG-DEU). 181 members of the Croatian Armed Forces were sent for a period of seven months, and the majority of the forces were members of the mechanized company from the1st Mechanized Battalion "Tigers" of theGuards Mechanized Brigade. The basic task and mission of the Croatian contingent was integration into the multinational battle group led by the Federal Republic of Germany, as well as the implementation of training in that composition, which, in addition to members of the Croatian Armed Forces, also includes members of the armed forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Kingdom of Norway, the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the French Republic and the host country of the Republic of Lithuania.[citation needed]
As part of the further strengthening of the Allies' deterrence and defense posture and taking into account the deteriorating security situation in Eastern Europe followingRussian aggression on Ukraine, NATO launched an enhanced vigilance activity in February 2022, which led to the establishment of battlegroups in Hungary, the Slovak Republic, Romania and the Republic of Bulgaria. In accordance with the Decision of the Croatian Parliament of March 2022. The Republic of Croatia has been participating in this battle group since July 2022, when the first Croatian contingent was sent to Hungary.[58]
At the Warsaw Summit in July 2016, NATO announced the transformation of theActive Endeavour mission in the Mediterranean Sea into a broader maritime security operation. The new operation was namedSea Guardian. In September 2018, theCroatian Navy ship RTOP-41 Vukovar participated in the Sea Guardian peace support operation in the Mediterranean. The commander of the ship was Lieutenant Battalion Ante Uljević, and the commander of the 1st HRVCON was the captain of the corvette Nikola Bašić. It was the first time that a Croatian Navy ship participated in the NATO-led Operation Sea Guardian, where it carried out non-combat tasks with a focus on creating a comprehensive maritime situational picture, with the aim of deterring possible threats and ensuring common safety at sea.[citation needed]
Members of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia have been participating in theUNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) operation since July 2007 as staff officers, and since 2013 as liaison officers. In March 2023, officer of the Croatian Armed Forces was commended by the UNIFIL commander for his assistance in the evacuation of injured soldiers of theIsrael Defense Forces due to the activation of a mine explosive device during March 2023.[57]
| Current Mission | Organization | Location | Number of personnel (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NATO Enhanced Forward Presence – Battle Group Poland | NATO | Poland | 161 |
| NATO Enhanced Forward Presence – Battle Group Lithuania | NATO | Lithuania | 195 |
| NATO Enhanced Forward Presence – Battle Group Hungary | NATO | Hungary | 205 |
| NATO in Kosovo -KFOR | NATO | Kosovo | 520 |
| NATO mission in Iraq | NATO | Iraq | 26 |
| Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 | NATO | Mediterranean Sea | 13 |
| Operation Sea Guardian | NATO | Mediterranean Sea | 66 |
| European Union Naval Force Somalia –Operation Atalanta | European Union | Somalia | 4 |
| European Union Naval Force Mediterranean –Operation Irini | European Union | Mediterranean Sea | 5 |
| United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan –UNMOGIP | United Nations | India andPakistan | 20 |
| United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara –MINURSO | United Nations | Western Sahara | 12 |
| United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon -UNIFIL | United Nations | Lebanon | 2 |
| Operation Inherent Resolve | U.S Armed Forces | Kuwait | 3 |
| Former Mission | Organization | Location |
|---|---|---|
| European Union mission in Chad –EUFOR Tchad/RCA | European Union | Chad |
| European Union Naval Force Mediterranean –Operation Sophia | European Union | Mediterranean Sea |
| International Security Assistance Force –ISAF | NATO | Afghanistan |
| Operation Active Endeavour | NATO | Mediterranean Sea |
| Operation Triton | European Union | Mediterranean Sea |
| Resolute Support Mission –RS | NATO | Afghanistan |
| United Nations Disengagement Observer Force –UNDOF | United Nations | Golan Heights -Syria andIsrael |
| United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea –UNMEE | United Nations | Ethiopia andEritrea |
| United Nations Mission in Liberia –UNMIL | United Nations | Liberia |
| United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone –UNAMSIL | United Nations | Sierra Leone |
| United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor –UNMISET | United Nations | East Timor |
| United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia –UNOMIG | United Nations | Georgia |
| United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire –UNOCI | United Nations | Ivory Coast |
| United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus –UNFICYP | United Nations | Cyprus |
| United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti –MINUSTAH | United Nations | Haiti |
Minister Grlić Radman confirmed that in 2025 Croatia reached the targeted defence spending of 2% of GDP, noting that the Croatian government is continuously modernising the armed forces and that Zagreb will continue to create conditions for better equipment and readiness of the Croatian Armed Forces.
The Croatian Armed Forces and its modernization of the military, to be conducted through the implementation of ongoing projects to equip the military with advanced technologies, such as multi-role combat aircraft, infantry fighting vehicles, and multi-role helicopters.
operation sharp guard.
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