Croatia’s government has approved the largest single military procurement in the country’s history, giving the green light to a €1.9 billion package for anti-drone systems, French self-propelled howitzers, German main battle tanks and heavy military trucks. The new equipment, financed through the EU’s SAFE instrument, is scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2030 and is intended to push the Croatian Armed Forces into a new league of capabilities within NATO.
The decision, adopted at Thursday’s cabinet session, comes against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and growing pressure on European allies to close critical capability gaps. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković framed the move explicitly in that context, stressing that the procurement is part of the implementation of an EU-backed loan under the SAFE (Security Action for Europe) financial mechanism. SAFE, introduced earlier this year, was designed to help member states accelerate key defence investments and strengthen the European defence industrial base.
According to Plenković, the funds will be used to purchase Leopard main battle tanks from Germany, CAESAR self-propelled howitzers from France, heavy army trucks and dedicated anti-drone systems. These assets, he argued, will help Croatia meet the targets it accepted at the NATO summit in The Hague in June, including higher readiness levels and stronger contributions to allied defence plans. The prime minister added that the contracts are expected to be formally signed next week during his visit to Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, and then in Berlin in the course of discussions with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The package sends a clear signal about Croatia’s alignment within Europe’s defence landscape. By anchoring its future armoured capabilities around the German Leopard platform and its artillery around the French CAESAR system, Zagreb is tying itself closely to two of the EU’s leading military producers. This not only secures access to advanced technology and logistics chains, but also deepens political and industrial ties at a time when European capitals are trying to reduce their dependence on non-European suppliers and coordinate procurement more effectively.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ivan Anušić underlined the qualitative leap the new equipment should bring. Acknowledging that the Leopard tank comes with a high price tag, he insisted that the cost reflects unmatched performance. In particular, he highlighted the inclusion of the Trophy active protection system, a combat-proven suite of sensors and countermeasures designed to intercept incoming anti-tank missiles and rockets, and increasingly also used as a shield against loitering munitions and drones. According to Anušić, this makes the Leopard currently the only tank on the market equipped with such a comprehensive anti-drone and anti-armor defense package as part of its standard configuration.
For Croatia, which has so far relied on ageing ex-Yugoslav and Soviet-era armour, the acquisition of Leopards represents a generational upgrade. Beyond the tanks themselves, the deal will require investments in maintenance infrastructure, training, ammunition stocks and doctrine – effectively reshaping the way the Croatian Army organises and fights its heavy forces. Meanwhile, the CAESAR howitzers will give Croatia a mobile, truck-mounted artillery capability with a range and precision far beyond older systems, allowing faster deployment and integration into NATO fire support networks.
The purchase of anti-drone systems responds to lessons from recent conflicts, where cheap unmanned aerial vehicles have posed a major threat to troops, armour and logistics. Integrating these systems with Leopard tanks, artillery units and ground-based air defences is expected to improve survivability and ensure that Croatian units can operate in airspace increasingly saturated with reconnaissance and attack drones. The investment in heavy trucks, although less glamorous, is no less crucial: without a robust logistics fleet, modern tanks and guns cannot be moved, supplied or sustained in high-intensity operations.
Notably, the government’s procurement plans received broad backing from opposition MPs in parliament. Across party lines, lawmakers accepted the argument that Croatia must replace obsolete equipment and keep pace with NATO allies, especially as defence spending rises across Europe. However, opposition parties sharply criticised the way the package was prepared and presented. Their main complaint was that the government did not provide a comprehensive strategic document laying out the long-term vision for the armed forces and explaining how this specific mix of capabilities fits into it.
Critics argue that while Leopards, CAESARs and anti-drone systems are all individually justifiable, parliament should have been able to debate the full strategic framework, including priorities, possible alternatives and opportunity costs. Some MPs warned that without a clear defence white paper, Croatia risks tying up large sums in high-end hardware without fully addressing other needs, such as personnel, cyber defence or maritime security. The government counters that the purchases are aligned with NATO planning targets and that a detailed strategic document will follow, but that argument has not fully dispelled concerns about transparency and sequencing.
Nevertheless, the broad parliamentary support suggests that few are willing to oppose rearmament in principle at a time of heightened security anxiety in Europe. Croatia, which has already invested in fighter jets and other key capabilities in recent years, is positioning itself as a more credible contributor to allied deterrence, particularly on NATO’s southern flank and in the wider Adriatic region. The SAFE instrument provides an opportunity to do so with favourable financing; the political cost of failing to use that opportunity could, in the government’s eyes, be higher than the domestic criticism over process.
The real test will come in implementation. Over the next five years, the Ministry of Defence will need to manage complex contract schedules, coordinate with French and German partners, and ensure that new systems are introduced without creating gaps in existing capabilities. It will also need to persuade the public that a €1.9 billion investment, spread out to 2030, delivers tangible security benefits at a time when other sectors – from health care to education – are also vying for scarce resources.
For now, the cabinet’s decision marks a decisive move onto a new path. If the ambitious procurement plan is carried through on time and within budget, Croatia’s armed forces will look very different by the end of the decade: more modern, more interoperable with key allies, and more firmly embedded in a European defence architecture that is finally waking up to the scale of the challenges on its doorstep.
