The Defence Committee of the Croatian Parliament adopted decisions on the participation of the Croatian Armed Forces in operations, missions and activities in 2024

The Defence Committee of the Croatian Parliament, at its 39th session held on Friday, November 24, 2023, accepted draft proposals for decisions on the participation of the CAF members in operations, missions, and other activities abroad in 2024.

These are decisions related to the participation of the CAF members’ involvement in NATO’s enhanced forward presence activities in the Republic of Poland, NATO’s enhanced vigilance activities in Hungary and the Republic of Bulgaria, NATO Mission Iraq, peace-support operation SEA GUARDIAN in the Mediterranean, Combined Joint Task Force Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, the EU operations: EU NAVFOR ATALANTA, and EUNAVFOR MED IRINI.

These are also decisions on deployment of CAF military personnel and their assignment to duties in the NATO force structure, NATO command structure, and other national (multinational) headquarters in NATO-led operations and other activities abroad. The Defence Committee of the Croatian Parliament gave its consent to foreign armed forces of NATO member states and the CAF members deployed within NATO’s New Force Model to cross the Croatian border.

On that occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ivan Anušić said that the first members of the Croatian Armed Forces were deployed the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone in 1999, and so far, 11,300 CAF members have participated in operations, missions, and other activities abroad.

“The Croatian Armed Forces are currently participating in 11 operations, missions, and other activities abroad with a total of 403 members,” stated the minister.

In addition, as part of NATO’s enhanced forward presence activities in the Republic of Poland, the engagement of up to ninety CAF members with a battery of Panzer howitzers 2000, with the possibility of rotation, within the U.S.-led battlegroup in which Croatia has been participating since 2017. Furthermore, as part of NATO’s enhanced vigilance activities, the deployment of up to 200 CAF members, with the possibility of rotation, within two Hungary-led battlegroups, in which Croatia has been participating since 2022, was also proposed.

The deployment of up to ten members of the CAF to the new NATO’s enhanced vigilance activity in the Republic of Bulgaria led by Italy and initiated in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine was also proposed.
“Our armed forces will further develop their capabilities, increase their level of interoperability with other member states’ forces, and directly contribute to strengthening collective defence and deterrence by participating in this NATO activity,” Minister Anušić stated.

Moreover, a proposal was made to deploy in 2023 up to ten CAF members, possibly on a rotation basis, to NATO Mission Iraq in which our soldiers have been participating since 2018.

On top of that, it was proposed to send up to three CAF members to the commands within the U.S.-led INHERENT RESOLVE Operation in Kuwait and Iraq, with the possibility of rotation, and up to 35 CAF members, along with a Croatian Navy ship, to the peace-support operation SEA GUARDIAN in the Mediterranean in 2024.

In terms of the Croatian Armed Forces’ participation in the EU operations, it was proposed that, with the possibility of rotation, up to 25 soldiers should be deployed in 2024 to the EU-launched operation EUNAVFOR ATALANTA and up to five members to operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, with the possibility of rotation.

In the end, the minister mentioned the NATO’s New Force Model that the allies agreed upon at the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, highlighting the following: “It is being proposed to make a decision on giving consent to foreign armed forces of NATO member states with the purpose of deterrence and the CAF members deployed within NATO’s New Force Model to cross the Croatian border in 2024.”