Croatian Air Force

Formation and Croatian War of Independence

The Croatian Air Force was established on 12 December 1991 during the Croatian War of Independence.^[2] The cornerstone of the Croatian Air Force was the establishment of an aviation group at the Command of the National Guard Corps (ZNG).

On 17 October 1990, an air combat group was formed at the Sinj airport on Piket as the nucleus of the future Croatian Air Force.^[2] The most important was the independent air platoon Osijek, founded on 8 October 1991 by one of the "fathers" of the Croatian Air Force Marko Živković, who was killed in action on 2 December 1991 with the rest of the aircraft crew.^[3] The Independent Air Platoon Osijek supplied weapons and medical supplies to the defenders of Vukovar and carried out attacks on enemy positions during the battle of Vukovar with improvised boiler bombs.^[4][5] As the war progressed, MiG-21 fighter jets, Mi-24 combat helicopters, Mi-8 and Mi-17 transport helicopters became part of the Croatian Air Force.^[6][7] In late 1993 and early 1994, 40 MIG-21 aircraft produced between 1972 and 1980 were acquired from the former Central Asian republics of the USSR, of which 24 were included in the squadrons and 16 were used as spare parts supplies. In mid-1993, 15 Mil Mi-24 fighter helicopters were acquired.^[8][9]

Towards the end of the war, airspace protection actions, assault operations and landings of infantry units were carried out.^[10] Croatian MiG-21s were used for reconnaissance, air superiority missions, and close air support operations, despite limited resources and spare parts. In total, Croatian forces downed more than 40 enemy aircraft^[11] and lost 3 MiG-21 to enemy fire.^[12][13] Croatia ordered ten Bell 206B-3, worth $15 million with training and support, for initial-entry helicopter pilot training in its air force in 1996.^[14] In 2005, government retired a squadron of seven Mi-24V helicopters due to maintenance costs.^[15] Following the 2007 Croatian coastal fires in Kornati, the government acquired two Canadair CL-415 and five Air Tractor AT-802 water bombers for $70 million.^[16] Croatia subsequently became the leading aerial firefighting power on the Mediterranean in respect to its population and surface.^[16]

Modernisation and NATO

Since joining the military alliance NATO in 2009, the Croatian Air Force has undergone multiple modernisation programs. With initial plans to replace the MiG-21 fleet with a multirole combat aircraft that year, the 2010s global financial crisis led to strained public finances.^[17][18] Two years later, in 2015, the Air Force acquired 16 Bell OH-58 Kiowa scout helicopters.^[19] During the 2010s, members of the Air Force stationed in Afghanistan trained Afghan helicopter pilots, aviation technicians and flight technicians on the Mi-17 helicopter in Kabul.^[20] Croatia received a total of 16 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters from the U.S. Army in 2016 worth $14.5 million.^[21][22]

In 2018, Croatia announced their intention to acquire 12 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft from Israel for €410 million in a large-scale arms deal.^[23] This deal included two flight simulators, training for its pilots and maintenance staff in Israel, aircraft weapons, a package of spare parts and equipment for ground support and infrastructure construction.^[23] Orginally sourced from the United States, the American government halted the deal by 2019 citing Israel's refusal to comply with the U.S. arms transfer guidelines.^[24][25]

Modernisation efforts were restarted in January 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.^[26] During a training flight over the Adriatic Sea that year, a Croatian OH-58D helicopter struck the water and two pilots lost their lives.^[27][28] By May 2021, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced the acquisition of 12 French Dassault Rafale combat aircraft in a €999 million deal with France.^[29][30] The deal included comprehensive weapon systems, spare parts, logistics and training.^[31] During a transition period,^[32] the Italian Air Force and Hungarian Air Force protected neighboring Croatian airspace between 2024 and 2026.^[33][34]

Croatia donated 14 helicopters – twelve Mi-8MTV-1 and two Mi-8T – to Ukraine as part of Croatian military aid in 2023.^[35] A year later, two Antonov An-32B tactical transport planes were donated as well.^[36][37] Croatia secured two DHC-515 fire-fighting planes from Canada as part of an international EU defence initiative worth €105 million in 2024.^[38] That year, the U.S. financed a Foreign Military Sale to Croatia valued at $273.8 million.^[39][40] This transaction included an additional 8 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and related equipment by 2028.^[41][42] A large €95 million arms deal with Turkey in 2024 led to the debut of Croatian Bayraktar TB2 drones by 2025.^[43][44] In 2026, Croatia announced a modernisation of their AN/FPS-117 radar system for €45 million.^[45]

Aircraft

Helicopters

Ranks

Commissioned officers

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

More information NATO code, OF-10 ...

NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1
Croatian Air Force[100] v t e
	Stožerni general		General zbora		General pukovnik		General bojnik		Brigadni general		Brigadir		Pukovnik		Bojnik		Satnik		Natporučnik			Poručnik

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Enlisted personnel

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

More information NATO code, OR-9 ...

NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Croatian Air Force[100] v t e																																			No insignia
	Časnički namjesnik						Stožerni narednik		Nadnarednik		Narednik						Desetnik						Skupnik				Razvodnik		Pozornik						Vojnik

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