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 The Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia have grown into a respectable and well-organised armed force during the Homeland War of independence. Many military analysists consider that the defence of the Croatian territory was successful, resulting in final military victory. Military tactics and strategy were carried out directly in practice and that is unique in the world. Croatian Armed Forces carried out many successful military operations such as "Oluja" (Storm) and "Bljesak" (Flash) in 1995 and "Maslenica" in 1994.
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 The acquired experience and knowledge have been built into the process of the military training and education. Thus they have become interesting to some foreign armies and military institutions. Lining up of the Zbor narodne garde (National Guards Core) at the football stadium in Kranjčevićeva Street on 28 May 1991 marked a turning point in the organisation and formation of the Armed Forces. |
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| The present organisation of the Armed Forces has come into effect as of 1 January 2003 and comprises the General Staff with its units, branch commands of the Croatian Army, Croatian Navy and Croatian Air Force and Air Defence and Joint Education and Training Command and Logistics Command. The Commander-in-Chief prescribes the organisation of the Croatian Armed Forces at the proposal of the Chief of General Staff, with consent of the Minister of Defence. The Armed Forces consist of peacetime and wartime component. The peacetime component is made of active military officers, civil servants and employees in the Croatian Armed Forces, cadets, and conscripts serving a 6-month national service and reservists when on military exercise. The wartime component of the Armed Forces is additionally made of all other reservists. |
 Command over the Armed Forces in peace is realised by the Commander-in-Chief through the Minister of Defence pursuant to the Constitution and the law. The Armed Forces today are a guarantee of the stability and peace in the region as well as the existence of Croatia. Conforming to West European standards and especially compatibility with armed forces of NATO members and firm commitment to access NATO, the Armed Forces are ready for all challenges and additional demands placed in front of them on the way towards membership. It is already 5 years that representatives of the Croatian Forces have been taking part in military missions UNAMSIL in Sierra Leone, MINURSO in the Western Sahara, UMEE in Ethiopia and Eritrea, UNMOGIP in India and Pakistan and UNMIL in Liberia and the platoon of the Military Police is in the multinational battalion. |
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 The Croatian Army Forces are additionally proving their readiness and level of training by taking part and by organising international military exercises. |
| Croatia is also very active in the process of supervision and control of the regional armaments and since 2000 it has been the host of the Regional Centre for help in implementation of the international contracts on armaments control (RACVIAC). |
