The Guards Mechanized Brigade is one of the two main tactical components of the Croatian Army. The brigade is based in southern Croatia with main

headquarters Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the to ...

in Knin.

History

The Brigade was formed following a major restructuring of the Croatian Army. The four main brigades and reserve brigades were merged into four battalions which were each designated one of their badges and nicknames and continue their predecessor brigade's lineage and traditions.

Main role

The Brigade's main role is defence of Croatia's territorial integrity and sovereignty as well as participating in

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

and international peace-keeping operations, as well as planning and conducting staff and unit training in accordance with domestic and international commitments of the Republic of Croatia. ;Main tasks *Plan and conduct the tasks related to

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

operations; *Prepare training and activity with accordance of

domestic Domestic may refer to: In the home * Anything relating to the human home or family ** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication ** A domestic appliance, or home appliance ** A domestic partnership ** Domestic science, sometimes cal ...

defence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...

doctrine; *Organize, conduct, evaluate and analyze training of subunits in order to achieve mission tasks; *Take part in national and international military operations, exercises and military cooperation; *Provide information and reports to the higher

concerning implementation of training and activity plans; *Provide assistance to state and municipal institutions by responding to threats of a non-military nature; *Maintain close relationship with the local community and participate in their activities.

Structure

* Mechanized Guards Brigade, Knin ** HQ Company, Knin ** 1st Mechanized Battalion "Tigers",

Petrinja Petrinja () is a town in central Croatia near Sisak in the historic region of Banovina. It is administratively located in Sisak-Moslavina County. On December 29, 2020, the town was hit by a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 , causing ...

( Patria AMV) ** 2nd Mechanized Battalion "Thunders", Petrinja (Patria AMV) ** 3rd Mechanized Battalion "Spiders", Knin (Patria AMV) ** Motorized Battalion "Wolves", Gospić (Oshkosh) **

Artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

Battalion, Slunj ( D-30 RH M94 122mm howitzers and APR–40 122mm

multiple rocket launcher A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple launchers which are fixed to a single platform, and shoots its rocket ordnance in a fashion similar to a volle ...

s) ** Air Defence Battalion, Benkovac ** Engineer Battalion, Sinj ** Reconnaissance Company, Knin ** Signal Company, Knin ** Logistic Company, Knin

Deployments

Elements of the Brigade have been deployed to

Golan Heights The Golan Heights ( ar, هَضْبَةُ الْجَوْلَانِ, Haḍbatu l-Jawlān or ; he, רמת הגולן, ), or simply the Golan, is a region in the Levant spanning about . The region defined as the Golan Heights differs between di ...

UNDOF The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) is a United Nations peacekeeping mission tasked with maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Syria in the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The mission was established by United ...

and to

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

as part of ISAF.

References

External links