Armed Forces of Croatia

The Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Oružane snage Republike Hrvatske – OSRH) are the national military forces of Croatia. The Croatian military consists of three service branches: the Croatian Army, the Croatian Navy and the Croatian Air Force. The OSRH is headed by the President of Croatia as commander-in-chief while defense policy is overseen by the Government of Croatia. The military supports the foreign policy of Croatia and international security initiatives. It is the sole military wing of the Croatian security and intelligence system.

Since the Croatian War of Independence (1991-95), the Armed Forces have played a key role in protecting territorial integrity. In the post-war early 2000s, Croatia moderated defense spending to accommodate nation-building. The military's first foreign deployment was to the War in Afghanistan, in 2003, later joining the military alliance NATO in 2009. Croatia maintains a close security and foreign intelligence relationship with NATO and the United States. The military has been deployed to various United Nations (UN)-led and NATO-led peacekeeping missions. Since joining the European Union (EU) in 2013, it became a part of the EU defense forces.

The Armed Forces have seen significant militarization and modernization since the early 2020s due to regional geopolitical risk. Its deep integration within Europe and the U.S. has led to modern defense pacts and a robust defense industrial base. The Croatian military is among the most technologically-advanced in Southeast Europe. Croatia used military conscription from 1991 to 2008, with conscription expected to return in 2025. The Armed Forces are spread across continental Croatia and capital city Zagreb, with the Navy largely based in Split.