Croatia Joins Regional 'Special Operations' Air Force

The Croatian defence ministry said on Tuesday that it had begun to set up a joint special air force with Slovenia, Hungary and Bulgaria, sponsored by NATO's Special Operations Headquarters and the US.

The new joint force could be used for special missions to fight terrorism or evacuate troops from potential hostile territory in northern Africa or the Mediterranean, it said.

The ministry said that the project was still in the initial phase, but emphasised that "potential areas of cooperation could include joint training and education, equipping, modernisation and the establishment of integrated multinational troops".

"Therefore, all state parties are tasked with developing the same capability and will accordingly seek rational solutions and help allies who have already implemented that goal," it added.

Croatia decided to join the force with Slovenia, Hungary and Bulgaria because it had no capacity to perform such tasks - required by NATO - on its own. The Croatian army currently does not have special air forces, but only special units for reconnaissance operations and combat actions.

Croatian Soldier, the official bulletin of the defence ministry, reported in September that the agreement between four states was signed during a NATO meeting in the Croatian coastal city of Split.

It said the joint air force was "a solid foundation for the establishment of a multinational training centre and the training of aviation units intended for the implementation of special operations tasks".

The airport in the coastal town of Zadar and the military airfield in the southern inland municipality of Udbina were mentioned as potential bases in Croatia. Udbina airfield is already used as a training centre by the US's special forces...