Croatia Army

The Croatian Army, designated as Hrvatska kopnena vojska, forms the land warfare component of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia. Headquartered in Karlovac, the land force operates under a command structure that oversees two operational maneuver formations: the Guards Armoured Mechanized Brigade based in Vinkovci and the Guards Mechanized Brigade headquartered in Knin. Supporting combat units include the Artillery-Rocket Regiment, Air Defense Regiment, Engineering Regiment, Military Police Regiment, and Signals Battalion, with specialized training administered by the Training and Doctrine Command in Osijek. Primary garrisons are situated in Karlovac, Vinkovci, Knin, Đakovo, Našice, Bjelovar, Benkovac, Sinj, Gospić, and Požega. Main operational missions encompass territorial defense, national sovereignty protection, and participation in multinational security operations.

Armored units field M-84A4 main battle tanks. Mechanized infantry formations operate M2A2 ODS Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and BVP M-80A vehicles, alongside Patria AMV wheeled armored personnel carriers fitted with remote weapon stations and Spike anti-tank guided missiles. Motorized infantry uses light armored vehicles including Iveco LMV and Oshkosh M-ATV platform variants. Field artillery relies on Panzerhaubitze 2000 and 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers, supplemented by D-30 towed howitzers and APR-40 and M-92 Vulkan multiple launch rocket systems. Air defense forces utilize short-range surface-to-air missile systems, including Mistral 3 and Strela-10 CRO, alongside BOV-3 anti-aircraft cannon systems. Tactical rotary-wing air support for ground operations is provided by the Croatian Air Force, which operates UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters and Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed reconnaissance helicopters.

Ground forces operational experience includes combat during the Croatian War of Independence, including Operation Storm and Operation Flash. International deployments include participation in NATO Enhanced Forward Presence activities in Eastern Europe, NATO Mission Iraq, Kosovo Force, and United Nations peacekeeping contingents. Modernization initiatives focus on transitioning from legacy equipment to NATO-standard hardware. Armored capability transition includes agreements for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks. Tracked and wheeled vehicle programs involve local overhaul and integration of Bradley vehicles at the Djuro Djakovic facility, alongside local production and upgrades of additional Patria AMV platforms. Ground artillery capabilities are being expanded through orders for CAESAR Mk2 self-propelled howitzers and M142 HIMARS rocket artillery systems, supplemented by Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial systems and national counter-drone defense equipment.