The Croatian Navy will assist with a NATO operation the Mediterranean from the 5th to the 21st of September. The missile boat Vukovar left from the Port of Split at the beginning of this week to join in the NATO mission Operation Sea Guardian.

With a crew of 32 and a commander the Vukovar will be the first Croatian vessel to participate in this operation, which was launched in November 2016.

Operation Sea Guardian aims to reinforce maritime situational awareness and counter-terrorism efforts through hailing and boarding suspect vessels and capacity building in the Mediterranean Sea. It focuses on gathering information about maritime activities in the region to help identify possible security concerns and develop maritime security awareness.

The Croatian Defence Minister, Damir Krsticevic, commented that "We are aware that the security of NATO and Croatia is defended not only on Croatian borders but also in places where threats emerge.”

The Operation Sea Guardian is under the operational command of the Allied Maritime Command in Northwood, United Kingdom.