After three years of intensive training, Croatia’s Kiowa Warriors and their crews are on the brink of attaining full operational capability. Martin Scharenborg and Ramon Wenink followed their final steps towards readiness and flew with the OH-58D at Zadar-Zemunik air base.
After declaring independence in June 1991 and the subsequent withdrawal of almost all remaining military assets to Yugoslavia, Croatia’s air arm had to be rebuilt from scratch. Due to a UN arms embargo imposed in 1992, it was impossible to procure the offensive weapons needed to fight insurgents in the northern and eastern parts of the country, where a Serb majority unwilling to become part of Croatia had proclaimed the independent republic of Krajina.
Attack helicopters were urgently needed to speed the advance of Croatian troops in these areas. Eventually, the Croatian government was able to purchase 12 Mi-24D and Mi-24V gunships from Ukraine and these were delivered unarmed from 1993 onwards.
As the Mi-24s were procured as ‘medical evacuation’ helicopters, the UN embargo could be bypassed. However, soon after delivery, most of the Mi-24s were rearmed and enlisted with the 29. eskadrila borbenih helikoptera (EBH, combat helicopter squadron) flying from var…
