Croatia ready to take leading role in EU drone production

Croatia offers drone production capability in EU defence initiative

BRUSSELS, 20 May 2025 – Croatia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ivan Anušić took part today in a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Defence) and the European Defence Agency (EDA) Steering Board in Brussels, Belgium.

The main topics on the agenda included ongoing military support for Ukraine and enhancing the collective defence capabilities of EU member states as part of the ReArm Europe initiative.

Speaking after the meeting, Minister Anušić reaffirmed Croatia’s commitment to supporting Ukraine amid Russian aggression.

“All member states remain committed to supporting Ukraine, which has demonstrated exceptional resilience and courage,” Anušić stated.

A significant part of the discussion focused for the first time on strengthening the EU’s specific defence capabilities through coordinated procurement funded under the ReArm Europe initiative.

Within this context, Croatia expressed initial interest in taking a leading role in the production of small drones.

“Given the capacities and capabilities of our domestic defence industry, Croatia could play a key role in the joint procurement and production of small drones within Europe,” Anušić said.

He explained that several Croatian defence companies are already capable of producing such drones using components entirely sourced from Croatia and other parts of Europe.

“Croatian companies could produce up to 500,000 small drones annually, starting as early as this year. If given the opportunity to lead this segment, that number could even grow,” he added.

These drones are among the projects that could be designated as initiatives of common European interest, making them eligible for joint procurement financing through the ReArm plan.

The ReArm initiative aims to encourage joint procurement efforts to help EU member states achieve key defence capabilities more effectively and efficiently.

Minister Anušić emphasised that the implementation of the White Paper and the ReArm Plan must be ambitious, swift and pragmatic. He also highlighted Croatia’s increasing investment in defence, noting that the country has reached defence spending levels of 2% of GDP this year.

“We plan to increase this to 2.5% by 2027 and 3% by 2030,” he confirmed.

Croatia’s participation in the EU’s evolving defence strategy signals its intent to strengthen not only national security, but also contribute meaningfully to broader European security and technological advancement.