Delivery of 13 armoured HMMWV vehicles

The vehicles were donated by the Government of the United States to the Republic of Croatia, namely the Croatian Armed Forces, based on the Agreement on donation of military vehicles and equipment valued at approximately $ 5,520,000.
It is an armoured vehicle with associated equipment, spare parts and additional communications equipment, which will be used in the training of the Croatian Armed Forces for participation in international peacekeeping missions.

Defence Minister Davor Bozinovic said that this type of vehicle was used by members of the Croatian Armed Forces in Afghanistan and that at this point the Armed Forces have 50 such vehicles. “The significance of this donation, which was worth nearly $ 6,000,000 is that these vehicles will enable the training of our members in Croatia, for participation in international peacekeeping missions, which has not been the case since our members were trained in Germany or on the spot in Afghanistan,” Minister Bozinovic said. He pointed out that these vehicles would enable better training in CAF, and significant savings to the defence budget. “This is an indication of how to modernize the armed forces in times of economic crisis and further proof of the traditional friendship and strategic partnership with the United States. This partnership is evident through all these years, through the help to Croatia in joining NATO, but also in soon EU membership,” Minister Bozinovic said and thanked on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces to the U.S. on this great and important donation.

U.S. Ambassador to Croatia James B. Foley said the United States were proud of the alliance with Croatia in NATO, stressing that the training and professionalism of the Croatian soldiers were highly respected especially in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, where together with U.S. forces they were trying to secure peace and stability in that country, which was a joint responsibility of the two countries as allies and partners. “This donation is part of a broader program of support and assistance of the United States to Croatia, which last year totalled more than 12 million U.S. dollars,” Ambassador Foley said and added that he expected to reach that level this year as well. Speaking about the specifics of the donated vehicles, the Ambassador said that this model of vehicle has been developed in accordance with the specific needs of the U.S. Armed Forces and these vehicles meet the highest standards of protection in the field. At the end he concluded that the Croatian Armed Forces were equally qualified as the U.S. Armed Forces for all the challenges, as we saw in the recently held joint military exercise “Immediate Response 11”.

Asked about the possibility of a similar donation of military equipment by the U.S. in the near future Minister Bozinovic replied that the Armed Forces in various forms of cooperation from the U.S. so far received about 70 million dollars in aid. “This cooperation is carried out in several directions, and except donation of military equipment and armaments, it is about collaboration through training, joint military exercises and the donation of equipment such as communication and simulation tools. This kind of cooperation is lasting and Croatia has shown that it was very able to use the most modern means used by the U.S. Armed Forces”, Minister Bozinovic concluded.