Croatian Army and Armed Forces and Day Celebration
On the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of establishment of the Croatian Armed Forces and the Croatian Army Day, the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces organised a celebration programme in the “Jarun” sports and recreational area in Zagreb, which was attended by the President of the Republic as Supreme Commander, the Defence Advisor to the President, Zlatko Gareljić, the Defence Minister Ante Kotromanović and the Chief of the General Staff, General Drago Lovrić as hosts, and other senior officials and invitees.
“The Croatian military is always at the service of the Croatian people, and nowadays, following the reforms, it has become a modern armed force that guarantees our security but also takes part in the international operations. We can be proud of our Armed Forces, especially over their assistance to the flooded-stricken residents of Slavonia. The Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces have managed to consistently reduce their expenditure and capacities without harming the defence capabilities and combat readiness and merit recognition for doing so”, stated President Josipović.
Defence Minister Kotromanović stated that the extended unfavourable budget situation did not undermine the defence system. “We have undertaken a series of reforms, and are committed to a balanced development of all services of the Armed Forces”. The Minister enumerated the projects for modernisation of the Armed Forces (e.g. modernisation of the aircraft, procurement of the AMVs and five inshore patrol vessels) and underlined the significant cutbacks in expenditures allowing the modernisation of resources.
The central part of the programme included a flying programme performed by 12 aircraft of the Croatian Air Force and Air Defence (the MiG 21s, the PC-9, the Mi -8, Mi-171 Sh and Bell 206 helicopters) and the parachute jumps performed by members of the Special Operations Battalion.
The Croatian soldiers also demonstrated flood relief procedures that have recently been applied in the flooded areas in Slavonia, as well as the drug- and explosive-detection dog training exercise.
The programme was complemented by a Static Display of the equipment and weapons used by the Croatian Armed Forces – the MRAPs, tanks, the Mi-171Sh and the Bell-206B helicopters, the mobile coast launcher, to name some, and a Recruitment Information Stand manned by world-class athletes serving in the Croatian Armed Forces. The Honorary Battalion demonstrated its honorary and exercise drill programme, and Croatian Armed Forces Orchestra peformed a musical programme on the occasion, as they also did in the centre of Zagreb on 31 May 2014.