Last Tuesday, January 14, the Croatian Army held a ceremony marking the delivery of the first batch of M2A2 ODS Bradley IFVs donated by the United States. These vehicles will be integrated into the 132nd HV Brigade stationed in Našic. According to the official statement, the first four refurbished units were delivered locally in 2025, with plans to build a fleet of 89 vehicles in total.

The event was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Croatia, Nathalie Rayes, and Croatian Vice President and Minister of Defense, Ivan Anušić. Anušić highlighted the strong cooperation with the U.S. in modernizing Croatia’s Armed Forces, stating: “The excellent collaboration between the Armed Forces and the Government of the Republic of Croatia with the U.S. Embassy and its Department of Defense has led to the acquisition of Bradley infantry vehicles, Black Hawk helicopters, and the HIMARS missile system. This makes the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia what they should be: a modern, capable, and strong force as a NATO member.”
Anušić also noted that Croatia’s defense spending has now met NATO’s requirement of 2% of GDP, with 29% of this amount allocated to modernizing the military’s equipment. Looking ahead, he expressed Croatia’s intention to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP, demonstrating the country’s strengthened commitment to NATO amidst its ongoing renewal efforts.

Regarding the Bradley agreement, it is worth recalling that it involves a combination of Croatian investment and a U.S. donation outlined in 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine—a conflict Croatia has supported through various military aid contributions. The deal amounts to $196.4 million, of which $51.2 million was donated by Washington, with the remainder funded by Croatia’s Ministry of Defense through payments to be completed by 2027.
On the refurbishment process, of the total fleet of 89 vehicles, 62 were selected for upgrades to be conducted by Đuro Đaković Specijalna Vozila d.d. (ĐĐSV) in Slavonski Brod. Of these, 44 Bradleys have already been delivered to the company, with eight completed last year (still pending delivery). These units will be used to train future IFV crews.
Image credits: Croatian Ministry of Defense
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