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Croatia vs. Serbia

Military

CroatiaSerbia
Military branchesArmed Forces of the Republic of Croatia (Oruzane Snage Republike Hrvatske, OSRH) consists of five major commands directly subordinate to a General Staff: Ground Forces (Hrvatska Kopnena Vojska, HKoV), Naval Forces (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica, HRM, includes Coast Guard), Air Force and Air Defense Command (Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo I Protuzracna Obrana), Joint Education and Training Command, Logistics Command; Military Police Force supports each of the three Croatian military forces (2021)Serbian Armed Forces (Vojska Srbije, VS): Land Forces (includes Riverine Component, consisting of a river flotilla on the Danube), Air and Air Defense Forces, Serbian Guard; Ministry of Interior: Gendarmerie (2021)

note: the Guard is a brigade-sized unit that is directly subordinate to the Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff
Military service age and obligation18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2008 (2019)18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished January 2011 (2021)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP1.83% of GDP (2020 est.)

1.65% of GDP (2019)

1.57% of GDP (2018)

1.67% of GDP (2017)

1.62% of GDP (2016)
2.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

2.2% of GDP (2019)

1.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

1.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

1.7% of GDP (2016)
Military and security service personnel strengthsthe Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia have approximately 15,000 active duty personnel (10,000 Army; 1,500 Navy; 1,500 Air force; 2,000 joint/other) (2020)information varies; approximately 25,000 active duty troops (15,000 Land Forces; 5,000 Air/Air Defense; 5,000 other) (2020)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitionsthe inventory of the Croatian Armed Forces consists mostly of Soviet-era equipment, although in recent years, it has acquired a limited number of more modern weapon systems from some Western suppliers, including Finland, Germany, and the US (2020)the inventory of the Serbian Armed Forces consists of Russian and Soviet-era weapons systems; since 2010, most of its weapons imports have come from Russia (2020)

Source: CIA Factbook