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DE RUEHVB #0436/01 1961424
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R 151424Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RHMFISS/HQ USAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9401
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUCBACM/CDR USJFCOM NORFOLK VA
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUDKSR/EUCOM PLANS AND ANALYSES STUTTGART GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC//DHO 1//

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000436 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SUBJECT: CG USAFE FROM DATT/ARMA DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2019 
 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO MOPSMARR NATO HR DEFENSE REFORM
 
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR GEN BRADY, CG USAFE, VISIT TO CROATIA 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: COL BRENDAN MCALOON, DATT/ARMA, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) & (D). 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Monday 20 July, you are scheduled to meet with U.S. 
Embassy country team representatives headed by Charge Vivian 
Walker.  Following your meeting with the embassy country 
team, Croatian Air Force Commander, MG Vlado Bagaric 
(BAAG-r-itch) will receive you at Pleso Air Base.  Tuesday 
morning 21 July, picks up with a currently-scheduled meeting 
the Croatian Minister of Defense Branko Vukelic 
(VOOK-al-itch) and Chief of the General Staff, GEN Josip 
Lucic (LOOTS-itch) in Zagreb.  After noon on 21 July, 
Croatian Army Commander, LTG Mladen Kruljac (KREWL-yatz) is 
scheduled to host you during an orientation of Slunj military 
training range. 
 
¶2.  (C)  Atmospherics.  Your trip comes at a time when the 
excellent security relationship between Croatia and the 
United States continues to strengthen.  Croatia appreciated 
the United States being one of earliest countries to ratify 
Croatia's NATO accession protocol. 
 
¶3.  (C)  Croatian Air Force.  The Croatian Air Force has one 
squadron of MiG-21,s which are approaching the end of their 
service life.  The Ministry of Defense Long-Term Development 
Plan (LTDP) identifies procurement of new multi-role fixed 
wing fighters as the top priority for the Air Force.  F-16 
and Gripen are front runners for this procurement.  However, 
budgetary constraints are forcing indefinite delays with 
procuring fighters.  Aside from the MiG-21,s, the Croatian 
Air Force owns a variety of MI-8/MI-171Sh helicopters, a pair 
of AN-32 cargo aircraft and Canadair water bombers used to 
fight wild fires.  Croatian Air Force pilots generally fall 
short of flight hour goals and pilot retention is a growing 
problem for the Air Force. 
 
¶4.  (C)  Slunj Military Training Range. Slunj range is 
prospectively a location where U.S. military aircrews could 
conduct air-to-ground training.  Negotiating an agreement for 
access to Slunj range has been a slow, intermittent process 
affected by domestic political concerns. 
 
¶5.  (C) KFOR.  Two new Croatian Air Force MI-171Sh lift 
helicopters deployed to Camp Bondsteel on 4 July 2009.  This 
is the first deployment outside of Croatia for the Air Force. 
 Croatia sees this as a test run deployment for the Air Force 
and has not closed the door on deployment of helicopters in 
support of ISAF in the future. 
 
¶6.  (C)  Partner Training.  Croatia has been identified as 
the priority of effort for improving partner nation,s 
SOF-capable vertical lift.  The next step in developing a 
training program will occur in September when we will enter 
discussions with the Croatian Air Force about a way forward. 
 
¶7.  (U)  Humanitarian Assistance.  The main body of USAFE Red 
Horse engineers arrived last week to Knin, Croatia. The 14 
airmen will conduct a Humanitarian Civic Assistance project 
(HCA linked to Exercise GUARDEX ,09) at the children,s ward 
of the Knin Public Hospital. Their work will include 
installing air conditioning, refurbishing the patient 
bathrooms, and painting the interior walls with high gloss 
paint for a sterile environment. The project is valued at 
$130,000 and will be completed in August. A ribbon cutting 
ceremony will not be held until September due to preferences 
of the USAFE unit and Embassy Zagreb. 
 
¶8.  (C) OMLTs.  Prior to NATO accession in April, Croatia had 
the only non-NATO OMLT in Afghanistan as part of its 
approximately 300 troops in ISAF.  Since NATO membership, 
Croatia has deployed two more OMLTs:  one garrison OMLT and 
one combined Combat Support OMLT with their state partner, 
the Minnesota National Guard (MNNG).  The OMLTs are deployed 
with the 209th ANA Corps and are based in Mazar-e-Sharif. 
Croatia pays all expenses for their OMLTs with the exception 
of U.S.-provided stratlift.  They have no operational 
limitations on deployment or ROE, but do have two caveats: no 
CT and no Counter-narcotics operations.  The deployment with 
U.S. Soldiers is a point of pride for the Croatian Army. 
 
¶9.  (C) Peacekeeping: Croatia prides itself on its transition 
from a security consumer with UN Peacekeepers on its 
territory to a security provider with Croatian Armed Forces 
(CAF) elements involved in fourteen UN peacekeeping 
operations around the globe, to include 98 CAF personnel on 
the UN mission in the Golan Heights.  Croatia has deployed 15 
of its Special Forces soldiers to the UN-led mission in Chad 
 
 
where they are serving within the Polish sector.  With these 
deployments Croatia is in the process of implementing its 
plans to increase and sustain its PKO contributions from 
around 250 soldiers in 2007 to 600 soldiers by 2010. 
 
¶10. (C) ASPA: The U.S. FMF and IMET programs were suspended 
in July 2003 due to American Serviceman Protection Act (ASPA) 
sanctions.  As a result, in the past few years the CAF 
depended entirely upon national resources to accomplish its 
NATO partnership goals and to equip its forces for ISAF. 
Croatia is the only ISAF partner and new NATO member that 
accomplished its transformation and financed its ISAF 
commitments without FMF or Coalition Support Funding.  The 
suspension of IMET during this time has had a telling impact 
throughout the CAF.  Most notably is the lack of 
U.S.-educated staff officers at the senior and mid-grade 
officer level to fill critical billets on the MOD, CAF, and 
NATO Staffs. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) FMF/IMET levels.  Croatia did not receive any FMF 
in FY08, and is projected to receive only 1 million in FMF 
and 500K in 2009.  The proposed budget numbers trend better 
in FYs 10 and 11. 
¶12. Suggested Talking Points. 
 
      -Congratulations on earning full NATO membership.  We 
look forward to working with the Croatian military as you 
continue your transformation and modernization. 
 
      - We remain interested in air-to-ground training at 
Slunj range and see potential training benefits to the 
Croatian Air Force and Ground Forces in the training.  We 
also recognize the sensitivity of your allowing us access to 
Slunj and will work with you to develop appropriate 
parameters for the training. 
 
      -Thank You for your contribution to ISAF.  Your OMLTs 
set an example for the coalition to follow.