Minister Anušić pays visit to Minnesota: The U.S. is our strategic partner; we are continuing intense modernization of the CAF

Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ivan Anušić paid on an official visit to the United States, as part of which he visited the Minnesota National Guard on 2 October 2024.

The Minister was given a tour of the Minnesota National Guard units, Camp Ripley and the Bradley vehicle repair workshops, the Bradley vehicle simulator and the Black Hawk helicopter simulator.

He also had a meeting with the Commander of the Minnesota National Guard, Major General Shawn Manke, during which the meeting participants reaffirmed excellent cooperation between the Croatian Armed Forces and the Minnesota National Guard. They discussed plans related to the modernization of the Croatian Armed Forces, and the current security situation in the world.

Minister Anušić thanked General Manke for the support that the Minnesota National Guard had been providing to Croatia in the process of modernizing the Croatian Armed Forces. “The U.S. is Croatia’s key strategic partner in the field of defence, and I am pleased that we will continue to cooperate closely with regard to the newly acquired equipment of the Croatian Armed Forces – Bradley vehicles and Black Hawk helicopters, which are used by the U.S. Armed Forces,” he emphasized.

In addition to the existing four Black Hawk helicopters already used by the Croatian Air Force, Croatia will acquire an additional eight Black Hawk helicopters with the support of the U.S. Government. We expect to have a complete squadron by 2028.

“We are working together to equip and modernize the Croatian Armed Forces with Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and by the end of 2024, eight of them will be handed over to our Armed Forces. We are also waiting for an additional eight Black Hawk helicopters that, under the contracts signed, will be delivered to the Armed Forces in the next few years,” the Minister said.

He particularly emphasized the importance of cooperation when it comes to Bradley vehicles that are undergoing overhaul and modernization at the Đuro Đaković Specijalna vozila company.

“Thank you for providing continuous, quality support to the Croatian Armed Forces in training our members and exchanging valuable experiences. The U.S. Army’s support in conveying its knowledge and experience in Bradley vehicle maintenance will be crucial, and Croatian Black Hawk pilots have also underwent additional training by the Minnesota National Guard,” he emphasized.

The Minister also emphasized the importance of the alliance with the United States, saying that Croatia also has something to offer in this partnership: “These are our experiences gained during the Homeland War, ways to deal with certain threats and situations that we, as a country that declared its independence 33 years ago, unfortunately went through and learned good lessons from. This gives us invaluable experience that we can share with our allies.”

In the context of the current security situation in the world, Minister Anušić and General Manke discussed Ukraine. The Minister emphasized that Croatia had supported Ukraine since the very beginning of the aggression, adding that the Croatian Government and the Ministry of Defence had provided military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 201 million euros.

General Manke expressed his satisfaction with the meeting. He emphasized further support of the Minnesota National Guard in the modernization of the Croatian Armed Forces.

Croatia has been actively cooperating with the Minnesota National Guard for 28 years as part of the State Partnership Program, which has significantly contributed to the development of capabilities and modernization of the Croatian Armed Forces.