Defense in 2025 - introduction of military service, new weapons and a ceremonial parade

The return of compulsory military service, the acquisition of new and modern weapons for the Croatian Army and a ceremonial military parade on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Operation Storm marked the year 2025 in the field of defense.

Compulsory military service in Croatia was frozen in 2008.

Its return was announced for a long time, and was officially confirmed at the end of October, when the Croatian Parliament voted to amend the Defense Act.

This week, the Ministry of Defense sent the first 1,200 notices for health examinations, which will begin in the second half of January 2026.

Notices for examinations are coming to young men born in 2007, with registered residence in Croatia, which the Ministry of Defense calls the 'zero generation'.

Basic military training will be conducted in three barracks, in Knin, Slunj and Požega, and will last two months, and the first conscripts are expected in the barracks at the beginning of March.

According to the plan of the Ministry of Defense, five generations of conscripts will undergo military training in one calendar year, about 800 conscripts per generation or four thousand in total.

Conscripts will receive a monthly allowance of 1,100 euros for military training, and the aforementioned two months of training will be included in their work experience.

Persons who do not want to participate in military duties for religious or moral reasons may invoke conscientious objection.

In this case, they can choose between training in Civil Protection, which lasts three months, or in local self-government units, which lasts four months.

A monthly allowance of 250 euros is foreseen for training in Civil Protection, and in the second case it is 100 euros.

Exemption from military service is possible for young men who have been assessed as unfit, for those who have been trained as cadets for at least two years under a contract with the Ministry of Defense, who, in addition to Croatian, have foreign citizenship and have regulated the obligation to undergo military training abroad, students of the Interior Ministry police school, judicial police officers or ordained priests, deacons, and monks.

Modernization of the Croatian Armed Forces

In 2025, the process of modernization of the Croatian Armed Forces continued.

At the beginning of the year, the first Bradley armored combat vehicles arrived at the barracks in Našice, while the others are being renovated at Đuro Đaković.

At the end of April, the last of the 12 contracted Rafale multi-role combat aircraft arrived from France, and six Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles were delivered from Turkey this summer.

In December, the Government signed contracts for a new weapons package.

An agreement was reached with France to purchase 18 Caesar self-propelled howitzers.

In addition to the howitzers, around 90 different vehicles are being purchased, including armored vehicles, cargo off-road vehicles, light off-road vehicles, special off-road communication vehicles, special off-road recovery vehicles, observation and opto-electronic instruments, portable radars for surveillance and target location, and other equipment.

The government has contracted with Germany to purchase another 44 Leopard 2A8 battle tanks with three simulators, spare parts, and logistical support.

The government has also decided to procure 420 Tatra heavy off-road trucks.

These trucks meet all NATO standards for ballistic and mine protection.

The final assembly of the trucks and their maintenance will be carried out in Croatia, at the Đuro Đaković company.

As for the delivery dates, the Tatra trucks will arrive between 2026 and 2030, the Leopard tanks are expected from 2028 to 2030, while the deadline for the Caesar howitzers is 2030.

The total value of all contracted weapons is around two billion euros. Most of this amount will be provided through the EU SAFE loan from 2026 to 2030.

The government decision also procures two stationary systems for the protection of military critical infrastructure and two mobile systems integrated into vehicles for the purpose of equipping the medium infantry brigade.

Military Parade

Citizens had the opportunity to see all the equipment and weapons currently at the disposal of the Croatian Army at the ceremonial military parade marking the 30th anniversary of the military-police operation ''Storm''.

More than 20 infantry formations and around 500 combat and non-combat vehicles, including Leopard tanks and Bradley armored vehicles, passed along Vukovarska Street in Zagreb.

This was followed by a flight program with 41 aircraft of the Croatian Air Force and 6 helicopters of the Ministry of the Interior.

Rafales, Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles and FPV drones, among others, flew over the sky above Zagreb.

During this time, a Croatian Navy parade was held in Split, in which four missile gunships, two landing ships, minelayers, four patrol boats and four large rubber boats participated.

Source: HRT