The Croatian Government adopted draft decisions on the participation of the Croatian Armed Forces in operations, missions, and activities in 2024.

The Government of the Republic of Croatia adopted draft proposals for decisions on the participation of the CAF members in operations, missions, and other activities abroad in 2024 during its 263rd session, which took place on Thursday, 16 November, 2023. These proposals were forwarded to the Croatian Parliament.

Also, it adopted draft proposals for decisions regarding the CAF members’ involvement in NATO’s increased forward presence in Republic of Poland activities. Additionally, they will participate in the Combined Joint Task Force Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, EU operations EU NAVFOR ATALANTA and EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, NATO’s enhanced vigilance operations in Hungary and the Republic of Bulgaria, and the peace-support mission NATO Mission Iraq.

Draft proposals for a decision on Croatia’s participation of its military personnel performing duties in the NATO force structure and NATO command structure, as well as in other national (multinational) headquarters in NATO-led operations and other activities abroad, were adopted by the Croatian Government. Additionally, the government adopted the draft proposal for a decision on the crossing of the Croatian border by NATO member states’ armed forces and CAF personnel employed in the new NATO Force Model.
On that occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Ivan Anušić said that the Croatian Armed Forces are currently participating in 11 operations, missions, and other activities abroad with a total of 333 members.

“Our armed forces further develop their capabilities, increase their level of interoperability with other member states’ forces, and directly contribute to strengthening collective defence and deterrence by participating in foreign operations and other activities,” Minister Anušić stated.

In addition, the engagement of up to ninety soldiers of the Croatian Armed Forces with a battery of Panzer howitzers 2000 in the Republic of Poland was suggested, with the possibility of rotation, as part of NATO’s enhanced forward presence activities within the U.S.-led battlegroup. Furthermore, the deployment of up to 200 CAF members, with the possibility of rotation, within the Hungary-led battlegroup was proposed as part of NATO’s enhanced vigilance activities.

Furthermore, as part of NATO’s enhanced vigilance activities, within the Hungary-led battlegroup, the deployment of up to 200 members of the CAF was also proposed, with the possibility of rotation.
The deployment of up to ten members of the CAF was also proposed as part of Italy-led NATO’s enhanced vigilance activities in the Republic of Bulgaria.

Moreover, a proposal was made to deploy up to ten CAF members, possibly on a rotation basis, to NATO Mission Iraq in 2024.

On top of that, it was proposed to send up to three CAF members to the commands within the U.S.-led INHERENT RESOLVE Operation in Kuwait and Iraq, with the possibility of rotation, and up to 35 CAF members, along with a Croatian Navy ship, to the peace-support operation SEA GUARDIAN in the Mediterranean in 2024.

In terms of the Croatian Armed Forces’ participation in EU operations, it was proposed that, with the possibility of rotation, up to 25 soldiers would be deployed in 2024 to the EU-launched EUNAVFOR ATALANTA and up to five members to EUNAVFOR MED IRINI.

The minister also mentioned the new NATO Force Model that the allies decided upon at the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, highlighting the following: “It is being proposed to make a decision on the crossing of the Croatian border by the armed forces of NATO member states and the CAF members employed in the framework of the new NATO Force Model in 2024, since part of the new NATO Force Model contains forces of high readiness that could deploy to combat in less than ten days.”