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*36x 122mm [[BM-21]] "Grad" MLRS
*36x 122mm [[BM-21]] "Grad" MLRS
*8x 128mm M-91 RAK-12 MLRS (60 in reserve)
*8x 128mm M-91 RAK-12 MLRS (60 in reserve)
*2x 262mm [[M87 LVRS|M-87 "Orkan"]] MLRS
*2x 262mm [[M87 LRSV|M-87 "Orkan"]] MLRS


=== [[Logistics]] ===
=== [[Logistics]] ===

Revision as of 10:47, 11 August 2007

Emblem of the Ground Army

The Croatian Ground Army (Croatian: Hrvatska kopnena vojska), commonly referred to as the Croatian Army (Hrvatska vojska) is a branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia. The fundamental role and purpose of the Croatian Army is to protect vital national interests of the Republic of Croatia and defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state. Basic tasks of the Croatian Army are:

  • to maintain an optimal level of combat readiness.
  • to fight a possible aggressor's main forces on strategic-operational levels and to defend against air and amphibious assaults.
  • to prevent, in cooperation with the other branches of the Armed Forces, an aggressor from in depth operations in Croatian territory.
  • to build and develop the capability to respond to requests of non-traditional tasks that are required of the Croatian Army
File:ISC 00261.jpg
Croatian Presidential Guard in their battledress uniforms

Equipment

Tanks

  • 2x M-95 Degman (new Croatian made MBT)
  • 75x M-84 - modernization planned to M-84D (D standing for Degman standard)
  • 3x T-72 - modernization underway

Armoured Personnel Carriers & Infantry Fighting Vehicles

  • 104x M-80A Tracked IFV (complete modernization)
  • 16x POLO 9P133 (already modernized variant of BVP M-80)
  • 37x POLO M-83 APC (Anti-tank vehicle) (likely replacement by Iveco MRV)
  • 84+42x Patria AMV APCs (delivery starting in 2008, another 42 will be ordered by 2009, total will probably be around 260 units)
  • 22x LOV (light armoured personnel carrier, built domestically)
  • 10+70x Iveco LMV Panther (on order, some already delivered, total will rise to 150-200 vehicles)

Anti-tank missile launchers

Anti-aircraft warfare

  • 67x Igla MANPADS (to be modernized by 2010)
  • 513x "S2M" MANPADS (part to be stored)
  • 3x S-300
  • 9x S-10CRO (domestically built SA-13, more to be put into service by 2010)
  • 54x Bofors L/70 AA 40mm canons
  • 44x BOV 3/30 AAV (target practice or scrap heap after 2015)

Artillery

  • 69x 60mm Mortar (270 in reserve)
  • 69x 82mm Mortar (270 in reserve)
  • 43x 120mm M75 Mortar (140 in reserve)
  • 4x 105mm M56 Howitzer (43 in reserve)
  • 8x 122mm 2S1 Self Propelled Howitzer
  • 28x 122mm D-30 Howitzer (24 in reserve)
  • 36x 130mm M-46H1 Gun (all in stores and reserve)
  • 16x 152mm M84 "NORA" Gun Howitzer
  • 18x 155mm M1H1 L-33 Howitzer
  • 36x 122mm BM-21 "Grad" MLRS
  • 8x 128mm M-91 RAK-12 MLRS (60 in reserve)
  • 2x 262mm M-87 "Orkan" MLRS

Logistics

  • 550x Army Jeeps, 4WD
  • 1200x 5-10t Army Trucks
  • 100x Field Ambulance Trucks and 4WD vehicles
  • 150x Specialist Vehicles

Withdrawn from service or in store

  • 45x M60P/M60SAN Tracked APC's (Yugoslav-made APCs - scrap heap)
  • 192x T-55 MBT (target practice, scrap heap, some in store)
  • 33x T-34/85 (used as a target practice)
  • 16x M-47 Patton MBT (used as a target practice)
  • 9x BRDM-2 APC's (scrap heap)
  • 26x BTR-50 APC's (scrap heap)
  • 6x MT-LB - APC (Czech made - scrap heap)
  • 2x ZSU-57-2 (AAV - target practice)
  • 24x M53/59 Praga 3x23mm AAV (scrap heap)
  • 133x 100mm T-12/MT-12 Anti tank guns. (stored)
  • number of other vehicles and equipment has also been scraped, all in effort to cut costs and modernize the military.

Structure

In order to fulfil its role and accomplish its tasks, the Croatian Army is structured as follows:

  • Army Command
  • Logistics
  • Special Units
  • Education and Training Command

Organizational Structure

Future Structure of the Croatian Army

The Croatian Armed Forces are being reorganized along NATO lines. With the new structure the Croatian Army will keep 3 brigades, each brigade tasked with specific responsibilities.

The total number of army personnel is to be reduced to 10.500 active troops, 8.000 reservist and 2.000 volunteers by early 2010, from a current strength of 16.500 active and 20.000 reserve personnel.

Croatia plans to have an all professional army by 2010. To ensure this goal is achieved NATO procedures and structures will be followed and implemented rigorously, procurement of new NATO standard equipment will play a significant part in the new defense doctrine, all in an effort to meet the challenges of a NATO membership.

Croatia plans to spend up to 20 billion Kuna (1U$ = 5.5 Kuna) on new arms over the next 8 years, of this at least a third will be spent on the Army.

Croatian Government decided in July, 2007 that Patria AMV 8x8 will be the next APC to enter Croatian service. It beat Steyer's Pandur II APC 8x8 due to better offset offers and lower price. One of the reasons was also the fact that Pandur II is still a prototype ordered only by Portugal whilst Patria AMV was ordered by Poland, Finland, Slovenia etc. The plan was to introduce 84 vehicles in 8x8 and another 42 in 6x6 configuration but the latter was considered too expensive and the decision is going to take place in 2008 or 2009. It is very likely that these 42 vehicles are also going to be built in 8x8 configuration. In all, Croatia will probably order 260 vehicles which are going to be built locally and are all due to enter service by 2020.

New tactical and reconnaissance vehicles are also needed for the Croatian Army’s peacekeeping duties. Currently Croatia has around 300 troops on peacekeeping duty in Afghanistan and another 200 troops in other hot spots around the world.

Croatia recently bought 10 Iveco LMV light armoured jeeps at a cost of 330,000 Euro per unit. If they prove themselves in peacekeeping missions, another 70 will be bought. In 2006 the Croatian Army received around 150 new trucks, jeeps and other unarmored vehicles.

To meet Croatia's needs for a new Main Battle Tank (MBT), plans call for the modernization of 75 M-84 A1 tanks at a cost of 150 million Euros. The first 2 tanks have already been upgraded and testing is ongoing, the remaining 75 M-84 tanks will be upgraded over next 36 months at the cost of 1.5 million USD per tank.

The Croatian MOD has decided to scrap all Soviet/Yugoslav era hardware that is not essential to the Army. The T-55 MBT being the first victim of this decision. Many have ended up on the practice range and some have become artificial reefs in the Adriatic Sea. These initiatives are primarily cost cutting measures.

The Croatian Army plans to introduce a new assault rifle replacing the AK47 in 2008, the rifle will be manufactured by a local arms producer, Croatia is well known for manufacturing high quality small arms. Recently Croatia developed a new assault rifle named the VHS. It is being tested in parts of Afghanistan and by the Croatian special forces.


Armour



Modernization Plans

Croatia plans to spend 3.6-5.5 billion Kuna (645-1000 million USD) over next 4 years on equipping its ground army.

Main programs are:

  • 50 000x New Assault Rifles - 5.56mm NATO standard
  • 100+x New Light multirole vehicles (IVECO MRV)
  • equipment for night fighting equipping at least 1 battalion (800-1000men), including advanced optoelectronic and sensor equipment, ground radars, thermal imaging cameras and sensors, and NBC equipment for biological/chemical-decontamination units
  • 18x 155mm SPH
  • 104x M80A - modernization of M80A IFV, plan calls for the modernization and upgrade of the weapon systems as well as new communication and sensor equipment.
  • 80x M-84D (M-95 Degman) - modernization of the fleet under a 200 million USD deal with the local firm
  • 126x Patria IFVs/APCs 4th generation 8x8 APCs
  • 42x Pandur II IFVs/APCs 3rd generation 6x6 APCs
  • 3x SA-10 SAM systems and modernization of existing systems
  • procurement of new army engineering vehicles, armored recovery vehicles, mine clearance vehicles and armored personal vehicles designed to withstand mine blasts
  • procurement of modern communication and battlefield management systems
  • procurement of new logistic and amphibious vehicles
  • procurement of 3-4 Artillery Radars

Croatian Vehicles

Croatian Artillery

See also

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