President Milanović in Split: We should have had five coastal patrol boats a long time ago
“I want to believe and do believe that the new Minister of Defense will do everything in the period ahead to ensure that Croatia finally has an assembled and complete coastal and inshore fleet,” the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović said today in Split at the change of command ceremony for the Commander of the Croatian Navy from the outgoing Commander, Rear Admiral Ivo Raffanelli, to the new Commander, Commodore Damir Dojkić.
In his address at the ceremony, President Milanović said that recently, in some segments of its structure of defense, Croatia had equipped itself in a very visible and enviable way. “We acquired 12 relatively new fourth-generation aircraft. We have to think in a ‘this belongs to us’ fashion, but we should have had five coastal patrol boats a long time ago, yet we only have one,” he said, pointing out that the realistic goal and the real hope of the Croatian Navy is to have an offshore patrol boat in its fleet.
In this regard, the President said that the history of naval battles in the modern era was written only by those who did the fighting, i.e. by the major countries, on the high seas and with large fleets, and that Croatia’s reach is in many respects limited. “We are a small country, but we are a coastal country that would not be what it is without the sea. We need something else, a corvette, an offshore patrol boat, which can go out to the Mediterranean. That boat exists as a goal, as a realistic, grounded, real hope of the Croatian Navy. We need to adopt this (thinking) and start working on it. It also belongs to Croatia, and Croatia is able to procure it for itself,” President Milanović emphasized.
“The main and fundamental job of the Croatian Navy is the defense of our sea. The defense of Croatia – its identity, its honour and pride, its freedom – these three elements, is your main job. This is how we continue to work, regardless of all the challenges. Because, without challenges, there is no desire for success, there are no successful and well-rounded individuals, no major commanders, no sailors, no generals, no soldiers,” the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces said in conclusion of his address.
Commodore Damir Dojkić, the new Commander of the Croatian Navy, joined the Croatian Armed Forces on the 1st of October 1991 as a Homeland War volunteer and member of the 1st Diversion Squad of the Croatian Navy and the “S” platoon of the 114th Reserve Brigade of the Croatian Army. During his career, he held the following posts: Deputy Commander of the 2nd Company of the 53rd Battalion of the Naval Landing Infantry, Deputy Commander of the torpedo boat “Vukovar,” Commander of the minelaying patrol boat “Dubrovnik,” Commander of the gunboats “Šibenik” and “Kralj Petar Krešimir IV,” Deputy Commander of the Surface Operations Division, Head of the Department for Defense Planning, Head of the Department for International Military Cooperation and Head of the Department for Defense Planning and International Military Cooperation at the Croatian Navy Command, Commander of the Surface Operations Division in the Croatian Navy Flotilla, Chief of the Flotilla Headquarters and Commander of the Croatian Navy Flotilla.
Since 2018, he held the position of Chief of Staff of the Deputy Commander of the Croatian Navy. He completed the Command and Staff School at the Dr. Franjo Tuđman Croatian Defense Academy in 2010 and the War College in 2015. He was decorated with the Homeland War Memorial Medal, the Homeland Gratitude Memorial Medal, the Order of the Croatian Trefoil and the Order of Ban Jelačić. He was also awarded the gold medal of the Croatian Army.
In addition to President Milanović, also speaking at the change of command ceremony for the Commander of the Croatian Navy were the former Commander of the Croatian Navy Rear Admiral Ivo Raffanelli, Commander of the Croatian Navy Commodore Damir Dojkić and the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Admiral Robert Hranj.
President Milanović was accompanied by the Adviser to the President of the Republic for Defense Ivica Olujić, Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković and Aide-de-Camp to the President of the Republic Colonel Vlado Čulina.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta