The Croatian Defense Ministry has accused President Zoran Milanovic of spreading false claims and misleading the public regarding the strategic airlift project using the "Airbus A400M Atlas" aircraft, HINA reported, BTA reported.
The reaction was prompted by statements by the head of state that the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces opposes the initiative and has expressed reservations since the preparation of a non-binding letter of intent signed during the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7 and 8.
The Defense Ministry stated that such claims do not correspond to the facts. According to the ministry, the General Staff twice gave a positive opinion during the interdepartmental coordination and indicated that the long-term plan for the development of the armed forces for the period 2025-2036 provides for the possibility of acquiring transport aircraft to provide strategic airlift for the Croatian forces.
The Croatian ministry specifies that the General Staff has only set conditions that must be taken into account in the event of a possible accession to the initiative, including the distribution of flight hours and costs, the basing of the aircraft, the interaction between NATO and the European Union, as well as guaranteed access to aircraft at the required level of readiness. On June 18, the General Staff informed the ministry that it had no objections to the final text of the letter of intent.
The ministry also rejected Milanović's definition that it was a "purchase of an aircraft". According to the ministry, the signed document is not binding and only allows Croatia to participate in an expert working group that will develop models for using the Airbus A400M Atlas transport aircraft. In addition to Croatia, the document was signed by Belgium, Poland, Turkey, Spain, the United Kingdom and France, HINA recalls.
The ministry stressed that the country does not undertake to participate in a model that does not meet its national interests, and decisions on the modernization and equipment of the armed forces are financed by the government.
In conclusion, the department pointed out that within one day the president made two contradictory statements on the topic – first stated that he supported the acquisition of a transport aircraft and contributed to the implementation of the project, and later claimed that the armed forces were opposed to the initiative.
Meanwhile, President Zoran Milanović said during a visit to Montenegro that he generally supports strengthening the capabilities of the Croatian armed forces, but believes that participation in the project should be reconsidered, adds the Croatian portal "Index". According to him, the Airbus A400M aircraft do not fully meet the needs of the Croatian army.
"This is a large aircraft that Croatia will use very rarely. Our army needs something else," he said, quoted by the portal. Milanović added that before making a final decision, additional consultations should be held with the military leadership and alternatives should be considered, citing the Czech Republic as an example, which has chosen smaller transport aircraft that are more suitable for the needs of the army. According to the Croatian president, defense decisions should be based on the real needs of the armed forces, not on political trends or pressure to increase military spending.