Croatian army
| Croatian Army | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the Croatian Army
|
|
| Active | 1991–present |
| Country | Croatia |
| Type | Army |
| Size | 15,670 personnel As of 2016[update] |
| Part of | Republic of Croatia Armed Forces |
| H/Q | Karlovac |
| Motto(s) | "Domovini vjerni" (Faithful to Homeland) |
| March | Mi smo garda hrvatska (We are the Croatian guard) |
| Anniversaries | 28 May |
| Equipment | 78 MBT, 623 IFV & APC, 350 artillery pieces, mortars |
| Engagements |
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| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Lieutenant General Mate Ostović |
| Notable commanders |
General Martin Špegelj, General Janko Bobetko, General Petar Stipetić, General Zvonimir Červenko, Lieutenant General Ante Gotovina, Lieutenant General Marijan Mareković, Lieutenant General Mladen Kruljac |
The Croatian Army (also Croatian Ground Army, Croatian: Hrvatska kopnena vojska, 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.
The basic tasks of the Croatian Army are:
The Croatian Army was formed in the Croatian War of Independence, when, on November 3, 1991, the Croatian National Guard was renamed the Croatian Army.
Numerous Croatian army units arose from the Croatian National Guard, including:
The locally based regiments were named the Home Guard Regiments (Domobranska pukovnija). They were created on 24 December 1991, during the war, and ceased to exist in a 2003 reorganization.
The Croatian Army is an all-volunteer force numbering 7,514 active duty personnel and 193 civil servants and employees as of August 2016. The Army can also call on 6,000 reserve personnel who serve up to 30 days every year.
The Croatian Army is being reorganized to fit in the NATO doctrine of a small, highly capable force with an emphasis on mobility and versatility.
Major combatant commands of the Croatian Army are one mechanized and one motorized brigade, each brigade having a specific role and different responsibilities. In 2012, one motorized infantry company is to be detached and put under the command of the EU Battle Group led by Germany. Croatia continues to deploy 350 personnel in support of NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
Croatia achieved NATO membership in April 2009. The defence reforms that Croatia initiated in 2000 have a long-term goal of replacing and modernizing the armed forces to meet the challenges of NATO membership. The plan calls for the modernization of the Army and the introduction of training and doctrine in line with Western (NATO) standards. Replacing ex-Yugoslav/Soviet hardware is also one of the main priorities.
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Wikipedia