The Croatian Air Force ( or HRZ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Armed Forces of Croatia. It is headquartered on the Pleso Air Base in Zagreb, Croatia with coastal airfields in Zadar and Split. The Air Force is tasked primarily with commanding and protecting Croatian airspace. Along with conducting independent air operations, it provides air support for land and naval forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field.
Its strategic mandate is articulated as air supremacy, reconnaissance, rapid mobility, air strike capability, as well as command and control. It is the second-youngest service branch and third-largest following the Croatian Navy and Croatian Army. This service branch oversees the nation's autonomous combat and surveillance drone fleet. It supports and participates in NATO, UN, EU, and American-led military operations around the world.
History
Formation and Croatian War of Independence
left|thumb|[[Rudolf Perešin, the first pilot to defect from the Yugoslav Air Force to join the Croatian Air Force.]]
The Croatian Air Force as it is known today was established on 12 December 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence. The cornerstone of the Croatian Air Force was the establishment of an aviation group at the Command of the National Guard Corps (ZNG). The basic idea was to gather pilots and other airmen who had left the Yugoslav Air Force, to provide professional assistance to the ZNG units, and to create a unified system of ground observation, reporting and air defence of the Republic of Croatia.
On 17 October 1990, an air combat group was formed at the Sinj sports airport on Piket as the nucleus of the future Croatian Air Force. 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 bombs (the so-called boiler bomb), inflicting great moral and material losses on the Yugoslav People's Army and the Serbian paramilitary formations. Since November 1991, Croatian "twos" had been involved in night bombings of Serb positions, with a total of more than 60 combat sorties.
The first combat operations are carried out with ultralight aircraft, which, armed with eight bombs of 3–4 kg caliber, of domestic design, attack from low altitudes at dusk or at night. Combat operations are also carried out by UTVA 75 aircraft, which are armed with four M79 Osa and various bombs. The attack was done mainly at night, from low altitudes from the direction that is least defended. One of the most significant combat actions of UTVA 75 was the attack on the RTV transmitter Čelavac, which was temporarily disabled by this attack. UTVA 75 was hit by infantry fire on that occasion, but as there was no significant damage, the pilots safely returned from the mission. Due to the enemy's air defense and the limited capabilities of the aircraft, all flights were carried out up to 50 meters in altitude and in the greatest secrecy. Intensive training and retraining of pilots for the An-2 aircraft, which will become the basic aircraft of the Croatian Air Force, will soon begin, especially for the transport of the wounded and medical supplies.
Later, 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. Armaments and equipment for the Croatian Air Force were purchased abroad in secret operations – namely, it was forbidden to export weapons to the territory of the former Yugoslavia affected by the war – they were purchased abroad; in the first place, Soviet-made combat aircraft were acquired for the handling of which Croatian pilots and technical personnel were trained during their earlier service in the JNA. The first 3 fighter planes were flown to air bases under the supervision of the Croatian authorities by former Yugoslav Air Force pilots: Danijel Borović, Ivica Ivandić and Ivan Selak.thumb|MiG-21UMD 'Kockica' in [[Croatian checkerboard livery.|left|221x221px]]
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. Other sources claim that the procurement of weapons and aircraft - including transport helicopters of Soviet origin - was carried out in covert operations through connections in Russia. Part of the dealings was also to man Mi-24 combat helicopters with Russian pilots as Croatian Air Force didn't have the capabilities as Yugoslav People's Army before the war didn't have such weapon systems part of it armed forces.thumb|alt=CL-415|Canadair CL-415 putting out forest fires in neighboring [[Slovenia.]]During 1995, in the decisive liberation actions of the Croatian Armed Forces, the Croatian Air Force proved that it had become an important combat component of the Croatian Armed Forces. At that time, among other things, airspace protection actions, assault operations and landings of infantry units were carried out. Croatian MiG-21s were used for reconnaissance, air superiority missions, and close air support operations, despite limited resources and spare parts. During the war Croatian forces downed more than 40 enemy aircraft and lost 3 MiG-21 to enemy fire. Following the war, Croatia continued to use the MiG-21 as its primary fighter jet. Croatia has ordered ten Bell 206B-3, worth $15 million with training and support, for initial-entry helicopter pilot training in its air force in 1996. In 2005, government retired a squadron of seven Mi-24V helicopters due to maintence costs. Following the 2007 Croatian coast fires in Kornati, the government acquired two Canadair CL-415 and five Air Tractor AT-802 water bombers for $70 million. By making such an acquisition, Croatia became the leading power in aerial firefighting on the Mediterranean in respect to its population and surface. Two years later, in 2015, the Air Force acquired 16 Bell OH-58 Kiowa scout helicopters. 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. Croatia received a total of 16 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters from the U.S. Army in 2016 worth $14.5 million.
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. 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.thumb|The [[Armed Forces of Croatia|Croatian Armed Forces<nowiki/> modernized their entire combat aircraft fleet in 2025.|250x250px]]
Modernisation efforts were restarted in January 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. During a training flight over the Adriatic Sea that year, a Croatian OH-58D helicopter struck the water and two pilots lost their lives. By May 2021, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced the acquisition of 12 French Dassault Rafale combat aircraft in a €999 million deal with France. The deal included comprehensive weapon systems, spare parts, logistics and training. During a transition period, the Italian Air Force and Hungarian Air Force protected neighboring Croatian airspace between 2024 and 2026.
Croatia donated 14 helicopters – twelve Mi-8MTV-1 and two Mi-8T – to Ukraine as part of Croatian military aid in 2023. A year later, two Antonov An-32B tactical transport planes were donated as well. Croatia secured two DHC-515 fire-fighting planes from Canada as part of an international EU defence initiative worth €105 million in 2024. That year, the U.S. financed a Foreign Military Sale to Croatia valued at $273.8 million. This transaction included an additional 8 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and related equipment by 2028. A large arms deal with Turkey in 2024 led to the debut of Croatian Bayraktar TB2 drones by 2025. In 2026, Croatia announced a modernisation of their AN/FPS-117 radar system for €45 million.
Organization
thumb|right|440px|Air Force Command organization as of April 2026 (click image to enlarge)
Commander of the Croatian Air Force
- Air Force and Air Defence Command
- 91st Wing, at Zagreb Airport
- Command Company
- 125th Fighter Reconnaissance Squadron, flying Baykar Bayraktar TB2S
- 194th Multirole Helicopter Squadron, at Lučko Airfield, flying UH-60M Black Hawk
- Aviation Technical Battalion
- 93rd Wing, at Zadar Airport
- Command Company
- 395th Transport Helicopter Squadron, at Divulje Airfield, flying Mi-171Sh
- 392nd Aircraft Training Squadron, flying PC-9M and Zlín 242L
- 855th Firefighting Squadron, flying CL-415, AT-802A/F
- 393rd Combat Helicopter Squadron, flying OH-58D and Bell 206B-3
- Aviation Technical Battalion
- Air Surveillance and Control Battalion, at Zagreb Airport
- Airspace Surveillance and Control Center, in Podvornica, reports to NATO's Integrated Air Defence System CAOC Torrejón in Spain
- Sector Operations Center, in Split to coordinate with the Croatian Coast Guard
- Mount Sljeme, Borinci, Papuk, Učka and Mount Rota radar posts with AN/FPS-117 radars
- Radio-technical Maintenance and Support Company, at Zagreb Airport
- Air Force Training Center "Rudolf Perešin", at Zadar Airport
Aircraft inventory
thumb|Dassault Rafale F-3R escorting [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress|Boeing B-52.|300x300px]]
thumb|Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk over Lake [[Jarun.|300x300px]]
thumb|Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warriors.|300x300px
Aircraft
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| style="background:#acc;" | Aircraft
| style="background:#acc;" | Origin
| style="background:#acc;" | Type
| style="background:#acc;" | Variant
| style="background:#acc;" | In service
| style="background:#acc;" | Notes
|-
! colspan="6" style="background: lavender;" | Combat aircraft
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| rowspan="2" | Dassault Rafale
| rowspan="2" | France
| rowspan="2" | Swingrole
| F3-R, C
| 10
| rowspan="2" |Final delivered in April 2025
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
|F3-R, B
|2
|5 received, 1 lost
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| Pilatus PC-9
| Switzerland
| Basic trainer<br><small>(also reconnaissance and CAS)</small>
| PC-9M
| 14, 3 retired and 14 remain in use.
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;" | Aerial firefighting
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| rowspan="2" | Air Tractor AT-802
| rowspan="2" | United States
| rowspan="2" | Fire suppressor
| AT-802A
| 5, 1 lost
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
|AT-802F
|1
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| rowspan="2" | Canadair CL-415
| rowspan="2" | Canada
| rowspan="2" | Water bomber
| CL-415
| 6
|
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| DHC-515
| 0
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;" |Unmanned aerial vehicle
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
|Bayraktar TB2
|Turkey
|UCAV
|TB2S
|6
|
|}
Helicopters
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 92%;"
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| style="background:#acc;" | Aircraft
| style="background:#acc;" | Origin
| style="background:#acc;" | Type
| style="background:#acc;" | Variant
| style="background:#acc;" | In service
| style="background:#acc;" | Notes
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! colspan="6" style="background: lavender;" | Multirole
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| Mil Mi-17
| Russia
| Transport / utility / armed capable
| Mi-171Sh
| 10, 1 lost
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! colspan="6" style="background: lavender;" | Utility
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| Sikorsky UH-60
| United States
| Utility
| UH-60M
| 4, 2 lost
|}
Weapons
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| style="background:#acc;" | Aircraft
| style="background:#acc;" | Origin
| style="background:#acc;" | Type
| style="background:#acc;" | Variant
| style="background:#acc;" | In service
| style="background:#acc;" | Notes
|-
! colspan="6" style="background: lavender;" | Weapons of the Dassault Rafale
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| GIAT 30
| France
| Cannon (30×150mm B calibre)
| GIAT 30M 791
| 12
|
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| rowspan="2" | MBDA MICA
| rowspan="2" | France
| Air-to-air missile (radar guidance)
| MICA RF/EM
| –
| rowspan="2" |
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| Air-to-air missile (infrared guidance)
| MICA IR
| –
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
|MBDA Meteor
|European countries<br><small>(United Kingdom. Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden)</small>
|BVR air-to-air missile
|–
|–
|
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| MBDA SCALP-EG
| France, United Kingdom
| Cruise missile
| –
| –
|
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| Safran AASM Hammer
| France
| Glide guided bomb
| –
| –
|
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;" | Weapons of the Bayraktar TB2
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
|Tübitak Sage BOZOK
|Turkey
|Air-to-surface missile
|–
|–
|
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| Roketsan MAM
| Turkey
| Air-to-surface missile
| –
| –
|
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| Hydra 70
| United States
| Rockets
| –
| –
|
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| AGM-114 Hellfire-2
| United States
| Air-to-surface missile
| M36, R
| 100
|
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;" |Weapons of the Mi-171Sh
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
|Zastava M84
|Yugoslavia
|General-purpose machine gun
|–
|–
|
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
|S-8
|Russia
|Rockets
|–
|–
|
|}
Radars
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 92%;width: 100%"
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| style="background:#acc;" | Model
| style="background:#acc;" | Variant
| style="background:#acc;" | Origin
| style="background:#acc;" | Type
| style="background:#acc;" | In service
| style="background:#acc;" | Notes
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;" | Air surveillance
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| AN/FPS-117
| –
| United States
| L-band, AESA, 3D air search radar
| 5
|
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| Saab Giraffe
| Giraffe 40
| Sweden
| PESA, short-range air defence radar
| 5
|
|}
Retired aircraft
The Croatian Air Force has previously operated the following aircraft since formation: MiG-21, An-32, UTVA 75, Mi-24, Mi-8, and MD 500.
Personnel
The Croatian Air Force has had 1,500 members since 2026.
Ranks
Commissioned officers
The rank insignia of commissioned officers.
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
|}
Enlisted personnel
The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
|}
See also
- Croatian military ranks
- History of Croatian Air Force
- 2022 Zagreb Tu-141 drone crash
- Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia
- Croatian Air Force Legion
References
Bibliography
- Lisko, T. and Canak, D., Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo u Drugome Svjetskom Ratu (The Croatian Airforce in the Second World War) Zagreb, 1998 .
- Savic, D. and Ciglic, B. Croatian Aces of World War II Osprey Aircraft of the Aces – 49, Oxford, 2002