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Croatia - Land Forces - Force Development

Since 2001 Croatia has undertaken an intensive program of defense reform that continues until today. At that time Croatia had a conscription system that produced 47,500 service-members on active duty and 183,000 mandatory reserves and a force structure that included 6 corps, 63 brigades, a fleet of ships and four airbases. By 2008 the volunteer system produces 20,500 service-members and 6,000 contract reserves that support a force structure of no corps headquarters, 2 brigades, a naval flotilla that includes Coast Guard vessels, and two airbases.

Over the course of the Long Term Development Plan of the Croatian Armed Forces (CAF) for the period 2006-2105, the numerical status of the Croatian Army was to be reduced to approximately 10,300 active personnel; corps commands were abolished, while the operational placement was no longer be governed by the concept of territorial defence of the Republic of Croatia. Basic military training for the needs of the entire CAF will be conducted at the Centre for Basic Training, while specialised training will be conducted in service units. Combat training of units up to battalion level will be conducted at the Combat Training Centre and command training up to brigade level will be conducted at the Simulation Centre. In order to be able to fulfil assigned missions, the Croatian Army must be able to maintain a high level of readiness, manning and training of units, to have capabilities for rapid reaction, high tactical and operational mobility and an appropriate peacetime components.

Within the Croatian Army and with the aim of achieving the land forces capabilities described in the Strategic Defense Review [SDR], the necessary force elements will be organised in combat service units (light, motorised and mechanised infantry, cavalry) in combat service support units (artillery, air defence, engineering, signals, NBC, MP and military intelligence units) and in support service units (supply, transport, maintenance and health care).

Croatia’s legendary brigades – 1st Tigers, 2nd Thunder, 3rd Martens, 4th Spiders, and the later-established 5th Falcons, 7th Pumas, 8th (easy-assault) Eagles and 9th Wolves, along with special units took charge of defending and liberating the Republic of Croatia. The guard brigades from the 1991 Homeland War included 1st Guard Brigade "Tigers", 2nd Guard Brigade "Thunder", 3rd Guard Brigade "Martens", 4th Guard Brigade "Spiders", 5th Guard Brigade "Falcons", 7th Guard Brigade "Puma", 9th Guard Brigade, and the 1st Combined Croatian Guard Brigade. The Guards Brigades, 1st Combined Croatian Guards Brigade and special police were the backbone of all operations of the Croatian Army, in defence and in liberation operations.

The 3rd Guards Armoured Mechanized Brigade (3rd gambr) was formed in 2003, by joining the 3rd and the 5th infantry brigades, Slavonian Kune and Sokolovi (martens and falcons). The command post of the brigade is "Bosut" barracks in Vinkovci and the Commander is Colonel Zdenko Culjak. With its organization structure, the 3rd gambr is a modern armoured-mechanized brigade. Of manoeuvre units, it had two armoured battalions, one mechanized battalion and a defined number of combat support units. Its combat basis is made of tanks M-84, infantry combat vehicle M-80 and other artillery of high quality, as well as means in general combat support. According to the Strategic Defence Review, in the future organizational structure, the 3rd gambr will be deployed for defence of the national territory.

The tank and the combat vehicle remained its combat basis. On the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of the brigade, the tank M-84 will need better performances to be compatible with other tanks from its generation. The project of modernizing the tank M-84 will be adopted in the Long-Term Development Plan. As regards education and assignment of personnel to appropriate duties in the brigade, only minor part of officers on 2nd Lieutenant and Captain level do not have adequate civilian education. However, with additional schooling of promising cadre, direct admittance of new cadre from citizens with university degrees through the Croatian MOD's advertisement to apply for a position in the CAF and arrival of the first military officers from "Cadet" program, in two years time there would not be a person in the brigade who will not be in the standard of professional development.

The 2nd Guards Brigade "Gromovi" was formed in May 1991 when 2nd brigade of National Guard and its first Infantry Battalion was established in Trstenik Nartski between Zagreb and Dugo Selo, in the former workers' settlement. During the Homeland War, 230 members of the brigade lost their lives, 5 have been still missing, and more than 1200 were injured. By the reorganization of guards' brigades in March 2008, a newly formed battalion of the Guards Motorized Brigade in Petrinja took the name of Gromovi, to preserve the memory of the name, tradition and the achievements of the famous and legendary units whose motto "Once a thunder, always the thunder" is still used with pride.

The 20th anniversary of the 5th Guard Brigade "Falcons" and the Day of the 1st Mechanized Battalion "Falcons" of the Guards Armoured Mechanized Brigade was marked 11 October 2012, in the Barracks in Našice. Special Operations Battalion was formed on 8th September 2000, by integrating 1st Croatian Guards Brigade, an elite unit created in the Homeland War, and the Special Combat Skills Centre.

The Armored Battalion is one of the most significant maneuvering units of the GAMBR. It is placed on the military training area Gašinci and it was developed from the armored battalion of the 3rd GAMBR with pertaining armored units of the 3rd and 5th Guards brigade. So, although it is not a declared follower of any war unit, it still has its roots in élite units of the Croatian Army. The best evidence of that is the information that almost 70 percent of the Armored Battalion's employees gained experience in war and more than 15 percent of them have joined the Battalion during the last five years.

The composition of the Armored Battalion comprises 2 tank companies and one mechanized, command and logistic company. Such a structure of this GAMBR's unit makes it independent as in combat actions so too in peacetime. In addition to tanks M 84, it is also armed with Combat Infantry Vehicle (BVP) m-80A with basic purpose of transporting mechanized infantry and providing support to tank units and among other things it also has special vehicles for recovery and repair of armored vehicles, a great number of motor vehicles for supplying the unit with necessary means ... With regard to its structure, firepower and maneuvering capabilities, the unit is earmarked for direct combat actions and its most important task in peacetime is training. The battalion is also active in civilian military cooperation, in the first place in providing support to engineer units in construction works on the whole territory of the Republic of Croatia and in fire-fighting season.