CROATIAN NAVY SEEKS ROLE IN OPERATION ACTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000637 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/RPM E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2016 TAGS: MARR PREL NATO HR DEFENSE REFORM SUBJECT: CROATIAN NAVY SEEKS ROLE IN OPERATION ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR Classified By: Poloff Justin Friedman, reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) ¶1. (SBU) On May 18, during the port call in Split of the USS Enterprise, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe Admiral Henry Ulrich met with Croatian Navy Commander Vice Admiral Zdravko Kardum. Admiral Ulrich urged Admiral Kardum to accelerate connection of Croatian radar data to the NATO network as the highest impact and most cost-effective contribution Croatia could make to Operation Active Endeavour in the short term. Kardum responded that he expected to have the integrated radar data connected to NATO via the Italian network by the end of the year. Kardum also said that Croatia would have its naval liaison officer billet in Naples filled by the end of this year or early next year at the latest. ¶2. (SBU) Kardum suggested that Croatian territorial waters would be an ideal location for future bilateral or multilateral training exercises. Kardum said that English language training for Croatian officers (of all services) was a priority for the General Staff and sought opportunities for additional training in the U.S. ¶3. (C) Kardum told Admiral Ulrich that the Croatian Armed Forces (CAF) had been in contact with Montenegrin officials in advance of the coming referendum on independence. He said that CAF were ready to offer any assistance, particularly in the naval sphere, to Montenegro should it declare its independence from Serbia. FRANK