Minister Bozinovic attends “Summer 2011” fire-fighting exercise

Exercises was also attended by the MOD State Secretary Mate Raboteg, Deputy Chief of General Staff for Operations Admiral Zdenko Simicic, Commander of the Fire-fighting Task Force of the Croatian Armed Forces Major General Mate Obradovic and other members of the MOD and CAF. Exercise has presented training and high readiness of FF Task Forces.

Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces participate in the preparation and implementation of the fire season, based on the Government Program in implementing specific measures on protection from the fire of interest for the Republic of Croatia, and CAF are organized, primarily, to aid regular fire-fighting forces in the coastal area and islands. For the implementing of these tasks MOD and CAF have been established Fire-fighting Task Force (CAF FF TF) made up of parts of the Croatian Army, Croatian Air Force and Air Defence, Croatian Navy and Special Operations Battalion.

CAF FF TF has six Canaidairs C L-415, six Air Tractors AT802A/F, two helicopters Mi8 MTV1, one mine hunting ship, an assault-boat and two inflatable boats.

CAF FF TF, inter alia, provide assistance and support to fire brigades in extinguishing forest fires and fires on open space from the air and land, transporting fire-fighters and support, supply and evacuate affected populations, and search and rescue operations. Air Force and Air Defence during 2011 have been involved with nearly 4000 flights, with more than 305 flight hours, in fire extinguishing. In 2011 about 9.2 million kunas were spent from the defence budget on fire-fighting activities.