Croatian Navy

Croatian Navy
Emblem of the Croatian Navy
Active	1991
Country	Croatia
Size	approximately 1.840 personnel 34 ships, due to rise
H/Q	Lora naval base, Split
Patron	Saint Nicholas
March	Mi smo hrvatski mornari (We are the Croatian sailors)
Anniversaries	18 September
Engagements	Croatian war of independence Operation ATALANTA
Decorations	Order of Duke Domagoj (Red kneza Domagoja)
Commanders
Current commander	Rear admiral Ante Urlić
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

Main article: History of Croatian Navy

The modern Croatian navy was born during the Croatian War of Independence in 1991; However, the navy traces its roots to the early 10th century.

The medieval Croatian state at the time possessed a formidable navy which controlled much of the Eastern Adriatic, and the day when the fleet of Croatian duke Branimir defeated the Venetian navy on September 18, 887 was chosen as the Day of the Croatian Navy.

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:

• Navy command
  • Command company
  • Navy flotilla
    • Flotilla Command
    • Surface Ships Division
    • Support Division
    • Mine Warfare Section
  • Coast guard
    • Coast Guard Command
    • 1st Coast Guard Division
    • 2nd Coast Guard Division
  • Marine Infantry Regiment
  • Coastal Surveillance Battalion
  • Navy Training Center
  • Split Naval Base
    • Naval Detachment North
    • Naval Detachment South

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

• 2 Kralj ("King") class Croatia (to undergo engine replacement in 2011)
  • RTOP-11 Kralj Petar Krešimir IV (1992)
  • RTOP-12 Kralj Dmitar Zvonimir (2001)

• 2 Helsinki class Finland
  • RTOP-41 Vukovar (1985)
  • RTOP-42 Dubrovnik (1986)

• 1 Končar class Croatia
  • RTOP-21 Šibenik (1978/extensively overhauled in 1991 to match the Kralj class)

Patrol boats

• 4 Mirna class Croatia - radar equipment modernized in 2007 and new fast boats added in 2009

• • OB-01 Novigrad (1980)
  • OB-02 Šolta (1982)
  • OB-03 Cavtat (1984)
  • OB-04 Hrvatska Kostajnica (1985)

Landing craft - Minelayer

• 2 Cetina class Croatia
  • DBM-81 Cetina (1993)
  • DBM-82 Krka (1995)

Armed Landing Craft

• Type 11
  • DBJ-101
  • DJB-103
  • DJB-104
• Type 22
  • DJB-105
  • DJB-106
• Type 21
  • DJB-107

Minehunter

• 1 Korčula classCroatia
  • LM-51 Korčula (2006)

School ship

• 1 Moma class Poland
  • BŠ-72 Andrija Mohorovičić (1972)

Salvage Ship

• 1 Spasilac class Yugoslavia
  • BS-73 Faust Vrančić (1976)

• plus about 20 other auxiliary ships and crafts

Coastal equipment

• 3 MOL Mobile anti-ship missile launchers equipped with RBS-15 Croatia Sweden
• 14 radars (4 AN/FPS-117 + 10 others) - Sea network Italy United States

Current fleet status

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 quantity of spare parts (most notably three MTU engines - to be installed on Kralj class vessels) from Finland 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.

Three other missile boats are currently undergoing overhauls. Končar class missile boat Šibenik has already been overhauled with new turbine engines and radars and is due to remain in service until 2018-2020. Kralj class vessels were planned to be extensively modernized by 2010 at a price of €20 million, but as a result of the recent acquisition of Helsinki class boats, they will only undergo an overhaul and an engine replacement, believed to be worth around €5 million per each ship.

Four patrol boats currently in service are going to be augmented by an entirely new class. The construction of the first out of projected 10 vessels was scheduled to start in 2007. So far none of the vessels have been commissioned and the decision to finally start building the first ship is being postponed for nearly three years. The latest information indicate that the construction of the class should commence in 2010 with the final vessel scheduled to be launched by the end of 2013. These patrol boats will be built in Croatian shipyards and should be around 40 meters long, incorporating the latest stealth technology. Similar but slightly smaller vessels have recently been built for Libya. Follow-up orders have been made and 16 ships are now entering Libyan service. A second country is also rumoured to have ordered the vessels.

The introduction of new corvettes or perhaps even light frigates is planned before 2015 but numbers and class of these ships vary. The most probable number is 2 ships, but as high as 4-5 have been mentioned. This is due to the previous need for 4-5 large offshore patrol vessels, but specifications have now changed and it is most likely that 2 corvettes or light frigates will be procured. At first, they were supposed to be built by domestic companies and measure 80 meters in length. This is now questionable due to higher demands which state that the new vessels might be up to 120 meters long and very well equipped. The German Braunschweig class corvette and French Gowind have been mentioned so far. However, it is now probable that they will be a variant of the MEKO design.

Future projects

• Upgrade of RBS-15 missiles to the latest standard. Cost of program - 120 million Croatian Kuna - program started in 2009 with the payment of the first tranche of nearly 14 million USD (70 million HRK) but was very soon canceled due to lack of funds
• Overhaul of existing 2 Kralj class fast attack craft, including new engines. Cost of program - 70 million Croatian Kuna - according to the latest information the overhaul should be performed in 2011
• 6-10 new patrol boats - locally built, 40 meters in length. Cost of program - 500-700 million Croatian Kuna - project at standstill, its realization has been sought since 2006 and the first ship was to begin construction in 2007 but the program itself is being continuously postponed year after year. According to the latest information, the construction of the first ship is to commence in autumn 2010.
• 2-4 new corvettes - 80–120 meters in length, to enter service by 2015. Cost of program - 3,000 million Croatian Kuna - project at standstill
• 2 Göteborg class corvette - HMS Kalmar K23 and HMS Sundsvall K24 are being offered to the Croatian Navy if Croatia agrees on JAS-39 Gripen purchase. Program is a donation but since two missile boats have already been bought, the deal is questionable. [1]
• 11-12 smaller boats of various purpose and class are due to enter service by 2012.

Gallery

• 

  RBS-15 anti-ship missile launchers

• 

  AK-630 gatling gun

• 

  Bofors 57 mm/70 Mk1 gun

• 

  SAKO 23mm guns

• 

  MK-44 torpedo

• 

  M90 mine

External links

• Croatian Navy
• Krka accident, in Croatian
• Croatian Armed Forces Long Term Development Plan 2006-2015