Croatia to Buy 18 South Korean Chunmoo Multiple-Launch Rocket Systems

Croatia will buy 18 South Korean K239 Chunmoo self-propelled multiple-launch rocket systems as part of one of its largest military investments since the end of the 1991-95 war. The government approved the package at a cabinet meeting.\n\nPrime Minister Andrej Plenković said the spending is intended to strengthen Croatia’s defenses and deter threats, not threaten anyone. He described the Chunmoo purchase as a major modernization project after Croatia acquired used French Rafale fighter jets. The system will replace the country’s aging Vulkan and BM-21 Grad multiple-launch rocket systems.\n\nPlenković said the Chunmoo’s ability to fire two different types of rockets of different calibers from the same launcher gives it flexibility, firepower and a short response time. He said Croatia would gain, for the first time, the ability to engage targets precisely at very long distances. The government linked the decision to the wider security situation in Europe and to lessons from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including the importance of long-range precision capabilities, modern air defense and reliable intelligence.\n\nHanwha Aerospace will supply the launchers, while Poland’s WB Electronics will provide the command-and-control system. Most of the systems are expected to arrive in 2028, with payments scheduled from 2026 to 2029.\n\nThe cabinet also approved about 112 million euros for additional detection and self-protection capabilities for Croatia’s Rafales, upgrading them from the F3R to the F4 standard. That work is planned from 2026 to 2032. Further projects include a 41.1 million euro upgrade to the Croatian Air Force communications system by 2030 and construction of an aircraft maintenance hangar at Zemunik base near Zadar.

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We are investing in our defense capabilities, not to threaten anyone, but to deter every threat, guarantee the security of Croatian citizens, territory and national interests, and thereby contribute to Europe’s collective security and defense.