Croatia to receive Bradley IFVs from US

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced on 26 January that an agreement had been reached on the acquisition of Bradley IFVs from the US (photo of vehicle participating in exercise 'Immediate Response 21' held in the 'Eugen Kvaternik' training area in Croatia from 17 May to 2 June 2021. (MORH/T Brandt)

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced at a press conference on 26 January that an agreement had been reached on the acquisition of Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) from the United States.

The acquisition cost is around USD196.4 million divided into two halves. The US will provide USD51.1 million in the European Recapitalization Incentive Program (ERIP) financial aid for the first half, with Croatia paying the remaining USD47 million before the end of January as a first instalment. The second half is to be covered in five annual instalments.

This US financial aid aims to help Croatia transition from Yugoslav M80 armoured fighting vehicles to Western equipment and to defray the costs of refurbishing the Bradleys. Zagreb had to complete the process before the end of January, when Washington's offer of financial aid was set to expire.

A total of 89 Bradleys are to be acquired: 62 to be made operational at the M2A2 Operation ‘Desert Storm' (ODS) level, 22 for spares, and five for training. They are to be refurbished in Croatia's Đuro Đaković Specijalna Vozila factory, in co-operation with BAE Systems. Delivery of the first vehicles is expected next year, and to be completed by 2026.