Croatia sends 17th contingent to NATO mission in Poland

At the barracks of the “4th Guards Brigade Pauci” in Knin, Croatia, the 17th Croatian contingent was ceremonially sent off to participate in NATO’s Forward Land Forces (FLF) activity within the multinational battlegroup led by the United States in the Republic of Poland.

A total of 50 members of the Croatian Armed Forces are being deployed as part of the 17th HRVCON, including six female service members, CE Report informs via the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Croatia.

Brigadier General Željko Ljubas, Commander of the Joint Operations Command, emphasized that members of the Croatian Armed Forces participate in about ten missions, operations, and activities around the world, thus contributing to peacekeeping and global stability.

“One of the missions is the NATO Forward Presence activity in the Republic of Poland, to which you are being deployed today. This is a confirmation of readiness in implementing allied decisions and building military credibility within NATO,” he said, wishing them successful and professional performance of all assigned tasks in the international environment and worthy representation of the reputation of the victorious Croatian Army.

Croatian contribution to NATO activity in Poland

So far, a total of 911 members of the Croatian Armed Forces have participated in Croatian contingents in NATO’s Forward Land Forces activity in Poland (FLF MNBG-POL), of which 54 were women. Alongside the Croatian Armed Forces and the lead nation, the United States Armed Forces, the battlegroup also includes members of the armed forces of the United Kingdom and Romania, while the battlegroup reinforces the 15th Mechanized Brigade of the Polish Armed Forces as the host nation.

The battlegroup’s tasks in Poland primarily focus on developing combat readiness and strengthening interoperability through training and exercises, continuously improving deployment plans and defense planning, and integrating into Polish defense plans.

Photo Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Croatia