The Croatian Army ( or HKoV) is the largest and most significant component of the Croatian Armed Forces (CAF). Role and deployment The fundamental role and purpose of the Croatian Army is to protect vital national interests of the Republic of Croatia and defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state. The Croatian Army's primary tasks are to: Defend against possible aggression at strategic operational levels and to defend against any land, air, or amphibious assault, in co-operation with the other branches of the CAF. Help allies and friendly countries in time of need. Build the capability to carry out non-traditional tasks such as humanitarian support during floods, fires, and other natural disasters. Recent and current operations North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) The Croatian Army has contributed to the following NATO missions: NATO EFP Battlegroups (Lithuania & Poland) - 2017 Operation Resolute Support (Afghanistan) - since 2015 NATO International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) (Afghanistan) - from 2003 to 2014 United Nations (UN) The Croatian Army was involved in the following UN missions as of December 2017: UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO): seven military observers UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL): one staff officer UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP): nine military observers In the past, the Croatian Army has also contributed to: UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) UN Mission in Support of East Timor (UNMISET) UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) UN Mission in Cyprus (UNFICYP) History The Croatian Army was formed in the Croatian War of Independence, when, on 3 November 1991, the Croatian National Guard was renamed the Croatian Army. Numerous Croatian army units arose from the Croatian National Guard, including: 1st Croatian Guards Corps 1st Guards Brigade (Croatia) 2nd Guards Brigade (Croatia) 3rd Guards Brigade (Croatia) 4th Guards Brigade (Croatia) 7th Guards Brigade (Croatia) Croatian 104th Brigade 204th Vukovar Brigade The locally based regiments were named the Home Guard Regiments (Domobranska pukovnija). They were created on 24 December 1991, during the war, and ceased to exist in a 2003 reorganization. Organizational structure and status The Croatian Army is an all-volunteer force numbering 7,073 active duty personnel and 151 civil servants and employees as of 2020. The Army can also call on 6,000 reserve personnel who serve up to 30 days