Croatian Navy

Croatian Navy
Emblem of the Croatian Navy
Active 1991
Country Croatia
Size 1,625 personnel, 26 vessels
H/Q Lora naval base, Split
Patron Saint Nicholas
March Mi smo hrvatski mornari (We are the Croatian sailors)
Anniversaries 18 September - first recorded Croatian naval victory (under duke Branimir against Venetians near Makarska in 887)
Engagements Croatian War of Independence
Operation ATALANTA
Decorations Order of Duke Domagoj (Red kneza Domagoja)
Commanders
Current
commander		 Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Rear Admiral Robert Hranj
Notable
commanders		 Fleet Admiral Sveto Letica, Admiral Vid Stipetić, Viceadmiral Zdravko Kardum, Admiral Janko Vuković Podkapelski
Insignia
Naval Ensign
Naval Jack

The Croatian Navy (Croatian: Hrvatska ratna mornarica) is a branch of the Croatian Armed Forces.

History

The modern Croatian navy was born during the Croatian War of Independence in 1991. Commemorating the naval battles in September 1991, but also as the day when the fleet of medieval Croatian duke Branimir defeated the Venetian navy on September 18, 887, the Day of the Croatian Navy is commemorated yearly on September 18.[1]

The contemporary origins of the navy are in the Austro-Hungarian Navy, as well as the navy of Yugoslavia, whose 35 ships and various depots were seized during the war.

Purpose

The mission of the Croatian Navy (HRM) is to defend the integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Croatia, to promote and protect its interest in the Adriatic Sea, islands and coast-lands. It carries and organizes the naval defense of the Republic of Croatia. The Croatian Navy fulfils its role by preparing itself and carrying out the following main tasks:

  1. Deterring the threat to the Republic of Croatia by maintaining high level of competence, training and technical quality of equipment
  2. Constant control of the Adriatic Sea and coast-land and monitoring of foreign war ships' movement
  3. Strengthening of the safety conditions on the Adriatic Sea and preserving the integrity of the maritime borders
  4. Implementation of the program "Partnership for Peace in the Mediterranean"

Structure of Croatian Navy

Current structure of the Croatian Navy

The following commands were created to carry out the mission of the Croatian Navy:[2]

Naval equipment

Fleet

RTOP-41 Vukovar
RTOP-11 "Kralj Petar Krešimir"
OB-02 Šolta
Landing craft and minelayer Krka
LM-51 Korčula
Salvage ship Faust Vrančić
MOL anti-ship missile system

Missile boats

Patrol boats

Landing craft - Minelayer

Armed Landing Craft

Minehunter

School ship

Salvage Ship

Coastal and other equipment

Current fleet status

RTOP-21 Sibenik

Two former Helsinki class missile boats, FNS Oulu and FNS Kotka, were acquired from Finland. They were renamed Vukovar and Dubrovnik respectively, and entered service in December, 2008. They were acquired along with a considerable amount of spare parts (most notably three MTU engines - to be installed on Kralj class vessels) due to a severe shortage of vessels at present. The price of these ships was €9 million and is considered rather symbolic, mostly because it was a part of the offset deal for the previous Croatian acquisition of Patria AMV armoured vehicles. The ships reached their full operational capability in June, 2009 and are set to remain in service until at least 2022. They may undergo an anti-aircraft systems' upgrade.

The Končar class missile boat Šibenik has been overhauled with new turbine engines and radars and is due to remain in service until 2018-2020. The Kralj class vessels were planned to be extensively modernized at a price of €20 million, but as a result of the recent acquisition of Helsinki class boats, they will probably undergo just an overhaul and an engine replacement, believed to be worth around €5 million per each ship.

Four patrol boats currently in service have been upgraded with new radars andstern anti-aircraft gun has been replaced with a hoist for a semi-rigid inflatable. These are to be augmented and eventually replaced by an entirely new class. Construction of the first out of the projected 5 vessels (more to follow later on) was scheduled to start in 2007, however the international tender for the construction of 1 + 4 vessels was published only on April 24, 2013. The tender calls for the acquisition of a total of 5 inshore patrol ship which are to be 42 meters long, with a displacement of roughly 220 tons and a maximum sustained speed of at least 28 knots. They are to be armed with a 30 mm Remote weapon station as their main armament along with two 12,7 mm heavy machine guns and a MANPADS launcher. The tender was in May 2014 and the construction of the first ship is to start in the last quarter of the same year. As projected, the first vessel is to enter service in 2015, the second one in 2016, the third and the fourth in 2017 and the last one in 2018. Units are projected to cost around 10 million euros respectively.[3]

Previously reported plans for the purchase of 2-4 offshore patrol vessels / surface combatants have been delayed for the time being but as stated by the MoD, the Navy is to continue developing its anti-surface and anti-shipping capabilities.

Future projects

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ "U Splitu obilježena 20. obljetnica HRM-a". Hrvatski vojnik (in Croatian). September 2011. Retrieved 2012-07-27.
  2. ↑ http://www.morh.hr/katalog/documents/spremnosti%20obrambenog%20sustava%202008.pdf
  3. ↑ "Pokrenuta nabava obalnih ophodnih brodova (OOB) - 1+4". Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  4. ↑ "Pokrenuta nabava obalnih ophodnih brodova (OOB) - 1+4". Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  5. ↑ "Ophodni brodovi: prototip za godinu dana, a ostali za deset miseci > Slobodna Dalmacija > Split". Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  6. ↑ "Splitski škver dao najbolju ponudu za pet brodova HRM-a > Slobodna Dalmacija > Hrvatska". Retrieved 14 December 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Navy of Croatia.