The first batch of American Bradley M2A2 ODS infantry fighting vehicles has entered service with the Croatian Army.

The country’s Ministry of Defense announced this.

The infantry fighting vehicles have been overhauled at a local enterprise.

The first four infantry fighting vehicles will be used to train mechanics, and the next four will be used to train the regular crew.

At the end of January 2022, Militarnyi reported that the Croatian Armed Forces would receive 89 used American combat vehicles in the Bradley M2A2 ODS (Operation Desert Storm) configuration instead of the planned 84.

The delivery of these vehicles is estimated at $196 million, but Croatia will pay only $145.2 million. The remaining more than $51.2 million is a donation from the United States.

It was also reported that the United States would provide an additional $11 million in aid to modernize these tracked combat vehicles.

In total, 62 out of 89 APCs will be overhauled at the Đuro Đaković Specijalna vozila dd (ĐĐSV) company in Slavonski Brod. The company has already received 44 vehicles for repair, eight of which were put into service in 2024.

The first four Bradley M2A2 ODS have already been delivered to the 1st Mechanized Battalion of the Guards Armored Mechanized Brigade, and the remaining four will be delivered by the end of January.

Crew training

The first cycle of training for 12 mechanics took place from October 30 to December 20, 2024, and the second cycle began on January 7 and will last until March 5, 2025. A total of 48 mechanics are to be trained in four cycles. And the first cycle of training for the permanent crew of Bradley infantry fighting vehicles will take place from January 14 to March 12, 2025.

Certified BAE Systems instructors conduct this training.

The rest of the Bradley M2A2 ODS infantry fighting vehicles will be delivered to Croatia gradually over the course of 2025 and 2026. The goal is to have all vehicles delivered and operational by the end of 2026.