In addition to mobile coastal missile launchers, today it operates 30 vessels, divided into the Navy Flotilla for traditional naval duties, and the Croatian Coast Guard.

Many highly ranked officers came from Croatia: grand admiral Maximilian Njegovan, ship-of-the-line captain Janko Vuković Podkapelski and others.

[3] Czech military historian Jindřich Marek points out that "Croats were more often applied to heavy labour as stokers and deck hands" and were at comparative disadvantage due to their lack of swimming and German language skills.

Croatian flag was hoisted on all ships in Pula (including, most notably, the flagship SMS Viribus Unitis) and some in Kotor, but the Entente navies soon captured nearly all vessels and divided them among themselves.

Croatian officers and sailors continued to man the new Royal Yugoslav Navy (1918–1941) until its demise during the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia.

In 1991, after the federal Yugoslav armed forces sided with Serbian leadership under Milošević and decided to fight against the democratically elected Croatian government which proclaimed Croatia's independence, ethnically Croat naval officers and rank-and-file led by admiral Sveto Letica started forming a new Croatian Navy.

In addition to that, in 2007 it was reorganized by dividing the personnel and vessels with newly founded Coast Guard, which remained a part of the Navy.

They were renamed Vukovar and Dubrovnik respectively (both cities were almost completely destroyed by Serbian and Montenegro shelling during the Croatian war of independence), and entered service in December, 2008.

The price of these ships was €9 million and is considered rather symbolic, mostly because it was a part of the offset deal for the previous Croatian acquisition of Patria AMV armoured vehicles.

[6] The mission of the Croatian Navy (HRM) is to defend the integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Croatia, to promote and protect its interest in the Adriatic Sea, islands and coast-lands.

The Navy flotilla handles all tasks regarding anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare as well as minelaying and mine countermeasures, anti-terrorist activities and VIP/residential transport.

The Sea Surveillance Battalion operates four Enhanced Peregrine naval radar posts at Lastovo, Dugi Otok, Mljet and Vis and additional nine GEM SC-2050XS naval radar posts at Savudrija, Brijuni, Mali Lošinj, Dugi Otok, Žirje, Vis, Lastovo, Mljet and Molunat.

Their radar equipment was modernized in 2007 and stern anti-aircraft guns have been replaced with a hoist with semi-rigid-hulled inflatable boats in 2009-2012 to help in their intercepting duties.

These aging patrol boats will be replaced in 2016-9 with 5 OOB-39 project ships currently under construction in Brodosplit shipyard, which is the first major modernization of Croatian Navy in a while.

The tender called for the acquisition of a total of 5 inshore patrol boats which are to be 43.5 meters long, with a displacement of roughly 220 tons and a maximum sustained speed of at least 28 knots.

[14][15] They will be armed with a Turkish made 30 mm Aselsan SMASH stabilized remote weapon station and two 12.7mm heavy machine guns along with a MANPADS launcher.

Politicians and military figures continue to discuss construction of a domestic-build OPVs or surface combatants in the post-2020 time period but this is an unfunded project.

[19] The Navy commander, rear admiral Stipanović, stated in October 2016 that the introduction of a new missile system (replacing the existing RBS-15) will be planned accordingly and executed together with construction of new OPVs.

[20] The Croatian Navy also operates several 11m RIBs (Rigid Inflatable Boat) used by the Special Forces Command, specifically for explosive ordinance disposal.