Croatian Government adopted decisions on giving consent to MOD’s procurement of SPIKE rockets, communication equipment and certified 155 mm ammunition for howitzers

At the 273rd session held on Thursday, December 21, 2023, the Croatian Government adopted decisions on giving consent to the Ministry of Defence to assume obligations at the expense of the state budget of the Republic of Croatia, specifically for the procurement of SPIKE missiles in 2026; for the procurement of forward air controller communication equipment in 2025 and 2026, and for the procurement of a package of certified 155 mm ammunition for PZH2000HRV howitzers in the period from 2024 to 2026.

The Croatian Government also adopted the proposal for a Conclusion regarding the Framework Agreement on the principles of the establishment and operation of the Battlegroup, which will be available for use by the European Union in 2025.

MOD’s State Secretary Zdravko Jakop pointed out that the Croatian Government and the Ministry of Defence are determined to further improve and modernise the CAF capabilities since this is a direct investment in security and support to the implementation of NATO capability goals. The decisions previously mentioned were proposed in this context.

“The first decision refers to the equipping of the Croatian Army with the SPIKE missiles that meet the requirements of modern warfare and ensure the achievement of capability goals for equipping combat platforms of the Patria Armoured Personnel Carrier with long-range missiles,” said State Secretary Jakop, pointing out that the Ministry of Defence issued a public tender and accepted the offer of a bidder from the Federal Republic of Germany.

In accordance with the selected offer, the total liabilities of the Ministry of Defence amount to EUR 11,216,250.00 including VAT, of which EUR 2,691,900.00 in 2023, and EUR 8,524,350.00 in 2026.

The second decision regarding the procurement of military communication equipment intended to equip the Medium Infantry Brigade in order to achieve the NATO capability goal, and to equip the Croatian Navy with equipment required to achieve operational capabilities in NATO operations, is carried out in cooperation with the U.S. Government.

This Decision gives consent to the Ministry of Defence to assume obligations at the expense of state budget for the aforementioned procurement in 2025 in the amount of 32,856.36 euros, and in 2026 in the amount of 318,950.78 euros.
State Secretary Jakop emphasised that in the context of the security situation caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine, it is very important to increase readiness and to further develop defence capabilities.

Therefore, the procurement of certified 155 mm ammunition for PzH2000HRV howitzers is carried out to replenish national stocks and to implement NATO capability goals, so in accordance with the selected offer, the total liabilities of the Ministry of Defence amount to 14,078,548.75 euros including VAT.

This Decision gives consent to the Ministry of Defence to assume obligations for this procurement from 2024 to 2026 at the expense of the state budget, specifically 810,674.75 euros in 2024, 6,518,806.40 euros in 2025, and 2,243,932 euros in 2026.

Financial resources for the implementation of these decisions are ensured from the state budget and allocated to the Ministry of Defence.

In connection with the proposal for a Conclusion regarding the Framework Agreement on the principles of the establishment and operation of the Battlegroup, State Secretary Jakop explained that the Republic of Croatia will participate in the EU Battlegroup, which will be in a state of readiness in 2025 comprising up to 250 members of the Croatian Armed Forces.

“By participating in battlegroups, Croatia and the Croatian Armed Forces are strengthening their visibility within the framework of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy,” he said.