This is the first part of the exercise, which continues with the support of the Croatian Air Force in the week of inter-branch cooperation between the Croatian Air Force, the Croatian Navy and the Croatian Air Force, points out Warrant Officer Igor Pavlov.
Members of the 2nd Mechanized Battalion "Gromovi" of the Guards Mechanized Brigade of the Croatian Army and the Croatian Navy conducted a joint exercise near Split yesterday, May 20, 2025.
The exercise began with the transfer of 29 members of the 2nd Mechanized Battalion "Gromovi" of the Guards Mechanized Brigade from the mother ship, i.e. the minelayer landing ship, to a landing assault boat, from which the landing was carried out on the undeveloped coast.
The members of Gromov then returned to the amphibious assault boat and returned to the mother ship, which was followed by disembarking from the mother ship in rubber boats without a motor drive and rowing to the shore, where they again landed from rubber boats on the untidy shore, which they then secured.
"This is just the first part of the exercise, which will continue at the end of the week with the support of the Croatian Air Force," said Warrant Officer Igor Pavlov, first non-commissioned officer of the Guards Mechanized Brigade, adding that a week of inter-branch cooperation between the Croatian Army, the Croatian Navy and the Croatian Air Force is underway.
"In the first part of the week, we had training with members of the Croatian Navy, i.e. landing from Croatian Navy ships and going ashore, while in the second part of the week we will conduct an exercise with the Croatian Air Force, i.e. landing from the air by helicopters is planned," said Petty Officer Pavlov.
Pointing out that the aim of the exercise is to familiarize members of the 2nd Mechanized Battalion "Gromovi" with the techniques, tactics and procedures of the Croatian Navy, or rather the Naval Landing Infantry, Warrant Officer Parlov pointed out: "This is something new for today's participants in the exercise, something they, especially the young members, are encountering for the first time. It is very good that we are building connections between the branches of the military and sharing resources. This increases our capabilities and makes training more interesting."
A participant in today's exercise, Lieutenant Jakov Marjanović, emphasized that the exercise was challenging: "The most challenging part was the integration of the navy with the landing infantry, since we don't have the opportunity to perform these actions that often, but there were no insurmountable obstacles. As soon as we grasped the dynamics of the landing itself and working with the sailors on board, everything went well. I am glad that the exercise was productive," said Lieutenant Marjanović.
Soldier Marta Kolarić said that this exercise was a new experience: "Collectively, we did the exercise really well. We had preparations before this exercise, so we knew roughly what to expect. I can say that the exercise met my expectations," said Soldier Kolarić.
Photo: MOD/ T. Brandt
