Croatia’s homegrown combat drones, developed by Osijek-based Orqa, have captured NATO’s attention with stunning aerial footage during a special forces exercise. Showcased on the 30th anniversary of Operation Storm, these fully Croatian-made FPV drones mark a major technological milestone, attracting interest from the US, France, and other allies for their advanced, combat-proven capabilities.
NATO commends Croatian combat drones
The NATO Allied Special Operations Forces Command has published two photographs of these drones alongside the words – “stunning aerial footage during an impressive exercise”.
After months of Defence Minister Ivan Anušić speaking about Croatian combat drones and offering them to allied nations, claiming that Croatia could be a European leader in this field and produce up to a million units per year if necessary, things are now slowly falling into place.
Many may have doubted Anušić’s statements or dismissed them as exaggeration, until the Croatian Army, for the first time, presented its drones on a combat mission during the 30th anniversary of Operation Storm in Knin.
First public combat demonstration
The footage shows these drones heading towards a target, striking it, and destroying it. Now, the North Atlantic Alliance has responded to this demonstration.
On Monday, the NATO Allied Special Operations Forces Command posted two photographs on its X profile showing the actions of this kamikaze drone, accompanied by the following words:
“In honour of the 30th anniversary of Operation Storm, the Croatian Special Operations Command presented stunning aerial footage captured during an impressive exercise.”
It is hard to imagine higher praise for this Croatian product, especially from soldiers who are generally sparing with their words.
Fully Croatian-made technology
As previously reported, these drones are manufactured by Orqa in Osijek and are particularly important because they contain no Chinese components. This is a wholly Croatian product – even the electric motors and cameras are Croatian-made, representing a significant technological achievement.
They are a type of FPV (First-Person View) drone, allowing the operator to see from the drone’s perspective.
Role of Allied Special Forces
The Allied Special Forces Command (SOFCOM) is tasked with defending against Russia and terrorist organisations. SOFCOM coordinates the activities of allied and partner special forces in deterrence and defence operations, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security.
It should be noted that the United States, France, and several other countries have already signed contracts with the aforementioned Osijek-based company for the procurement of these Croatian drones – specifically for use by their special forces.
Global cooperation and proven expertise
Naturally, not all details about weaponry are ever made public, particularly in today’s climate, but it is known that the Osijek company has also been involved in the production of Ukrainian drones. Furthermore, some of their components can be found in the Turkish Bayraktar drone, which Croatia itself has acquired.
What matters most in this story is the fact that Croatia is demonstrating a high level of technological capability in a category of weaponry that, as seen on the battlefields of Ukraine, has introduced a new form of warfare.
From start-ups to global success
This achievement did not happen by chance. Croatia is home to companies that largely began as start-ups in garages, created by young people who fought their way onto the international market and built companies worth tens of millions – in one case, over a billion euros.
These belong to the IT industry and are run by Croatian entrepreneurs and engineers who mostly work with European and American companies, rarely with the Croatian state. They employ thousands of young experts, all of whom remain in Croatia.
Why? They say life in Croatia is far more pleasant than elsewhere, and because this work can be done online, they have no problem not being in the West. It is from this environment that Croatian combat drones have emerged.
