Croatia Signs Leopard Tank And Caesar Howitzer Deals

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The news in Croatian

1. modernizirati
   učiniti nešto suvremenijim, novijim i prikladnijim za današnje vrijeme ↩︎
2. haubica  (f.)
   topničko oružje koje ispaljuje granate na veće udaljenosti pod većim kutom ↩︎
3. nadograditi
   poboljšati nešto dodavanjem novih dijelova ili funkcija ↩︎
4. sustav  (m.)
   skup povezanih dijelova koji zajedno funkcioniraju kao cjelina ↩︎
5. protuzračan
   koji je namijenjen obrani od napada iz zraka ↩︎
6. financirati
   dati novac potreban za neki projekt, rad ili kupnju ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Besides tanks, what other major type of weapon is Croatia buying as part of its army modernization?

Question 2: Who will help pay for part of Croatia’s new military equipment?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
modernizirati	to modernise
haubica  (f.)	howitzer
nadograditi	to upgrade
sustav  (m.)	system
protuzračan	anti-aircraft
financirati	to finance / to fund

Read the full story

Croatia is moving ahead with a major modernisation of its armed forces, signing contracts for new German Leopard 2A8 tanks and French Caesar self-propelled howitzers, while also announcing plans to upgrade existing weapons and strengthen air and drone defences.

The new agreements were concluded during a series of high-level visits by Croatian officials to France and Germany. In France, Croatia signed a contract to buy 18 Caesar 155-millimetre howitzers and a letter of intent to upgrade Rafale fighter jets that the country has already ordered. In Germany, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković is due to sign a contract for the delivery of 44 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks.

According to officials, the tank purchase is part of a joint procurement programme with Norway, the Czech Republic, Lithuania and the Netherlands, designed to speed up production and delivery. The total value of Croatia’s share of the wider armoured and artillery package is estimated at around €1.1 billion, and includes not only tanks and howitzers but also simulators, training, support equipment and guarantees.

Croatian military experts describe the Leopard 2A8 as one of the most advanced armoured vehicles in the world. Retired general Slavko Barić and brigadier general Davor Tretinjak have both said that the Leopards are powerful, well-protected and precise, and stressed that the key question now will be how quickly Croatian crews can learn to operate them and integrate them with other systems.

The purchase of French Caesar howitzers represents a shift in Croatia’s artillery capabilities. The new systems can fire about six shells per minute, have a range of up to 55 kilometres, and come with ballistic and mine protection. They are described as highly mobile, able to change position quickly – a characteristic that analysts say has proven important in modern warfare, including in Ukraine.

Croatia already owns 12 German Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzers, which will remain in service. Defence minister and deputy prime minister Ivan Anušić explained that both the German and French systems use standard NATO 155-millimetre ammunition, allowing them to complement each other. He said the Panzerhaubitze guns, bought around a decade ago, will be modernised and overhauled so that they can serve alongside the new Caesars rather than be replaced by them.

Some retired officers and commentators have noted that the heavier Panzerhaubitze systems can be less suitable for muddy or rough terrain and are less mobile than the truck-mounted Caesar guns. However, they also point out that both types of howitzer have advantages and that operating mixed artillery fleets from different manufacturers is becoming common in European armies.

Part of the plan is also to enhance Croatia’s Rafale fighter jets with newer weapons and systems. General Tretinjak said that certain upgrades, such as more modern air-to-air missiles with roughly double the range of existing ones, were anticipated in the original 2021 Rafale contract but were not purchased at that time because they were not yet fully available. Croatia now intends to adapt its Rafales to use this newer technology. Until Croatian pilots complete their training and the jets become fully operational, Italian and Hungarian aircraft are helping to protect Croatian airspace.

The question of how to pay for this extensive modernisation has drawn attention in Croatia. Minister Anušić stated that much of the new equipment will be financed through the EU SAFE programme, a European Union initiative that provides favourable loans for defence investments. He said Croatia has taken on a relatively small amount of debt compared with other EU members and that the loans include low fixed interest rates and a repayment delay of 20 to 30 years. According to Anušić, these funds do not count towards Croatia’s national deficit under current rules, and there have even been discussions at EU level about possibly turning some of the SAFE resources into non-repayable support, although this has not been decided.

Supporters of the purchases argue that the costs should be viewed in the context of deterrence and security. Retired general Barić told Croatian television that a “single day of war” could cost more than the total amount being invested now, and that having the necessary equipment can help prevent conflicts. He and other military figures emphasise that armed forces always require substantial funding, but that lacking appropriate equipment can ultimately prove more expensive.

At the same time, some domestic critics have questioned whether Croatia, a relatively small country, can afford such a rapid and broad rearmament programme, and have asked if resources should be more focused on air defence and modern drone systems instead of traditional heavy weapons. Government representatives respond that the current plans include both conventional and high-tech systems.

Anušić explained that, in addition to tanks, artillery and aircraft, Croatia is preparing to acquire medium-range air defence systems. Studies and planning for this capability have already been completed, and formal procurement is expected soon. In parallel, domestic companies are working on FPV (first-person view) drones, unmanned ground vehicles and anti-drone technologies. On 18 December, the Ministry of Defence plans to sign a contract with the Croatian company Končar for the production and delivery of four anti-drone protection systems to defend critical infrastructure sites.

Government officials argue that this broad approach is necessary because Croatia’s armed forces have not been comprehensively modernised since around the year 2000. Apart from the Rafale deal, investments over the past two decades have been relatively limited, which, according to Anušić, has created a situation in which the country now needs to upgrade all branches of the military – land, sea and air – at the same time.

For many Croatian politicians and officers, these efforts are closely linked to the country’s experience in the 1991–1995 war of independence. Anušić said Croatia can no longer allow a situation similar to 1991, when it faced external aggression with very little heavy weaponry and was sometimes perceived as an easy target. He stressed that Croatia does not encourage war and is not seeking conflict, but wants armed forces strong enough to discourage any potential threat to its territory.

The modernisation drive is also taking place against a wider diplomatic backdrop. During his visit to Paris and Berlin, Prime Minister Plenković discussed not only arms purchases but also Croatia’s accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Croatia has completed requirements in most OECD committees and expects to become a member next year, which Zagreb sees as the final major foreign policy step after joining the European Union, the eurozone and the Schengen area.

In meetings with German and French partners, Croatian leaders raised broader topics such as the European response to the changing relationship with the United States, the search for peace in Ukraine, future EU budget planning for 2028–2034, and the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a long-standing focus of Croatian diplomacy. Croatian officials also highlighted the country’s role as an energy hub in south-eastern Europe and its contribution to NATO and EU security.

As Croatia moves closer to full OECD membership and deepens its defence cooperation with major EU partners, the combination of economic integration and military modernisation is likely to remain a central theme in its foreign and security policy. Observers note that the success of these reforms will depend not only on equipment deliveries and financing, but also on training, maintenance and long-term planning to ensure that the new systems meet the country’s defence needs in a changing security environment.

Info: ‘Croatian Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Croatian’, a language school dedicated to teaching Croatian through various types of online courses and resources that show learners how to learn Croatian. We provide structured support for learners at different levels, focusing on clear explanations and practical language use.