| Chief of the General Staff | |
|---|---|
| Načelnik Glavnog stožera Oružanih snaga Republike Hrvatske | |
 Seal of the Chief of General Staff | |
 Flag of the Chief of General Staff | |
 IncumbentColonel general Tihomir Kundid since 8 March 2024 | |
| Ministry of Defence | |
| Member of |  General Staff |
| Reports to |  Minister of Defence |
| Appointer |  President of Croatia |
| Formation | 21 September 1991 |
| First holder | General of the Army Anton Tus |
The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Načelnik Glavnog stožera Oružanih snaga Republike Hrvatske) is the principal head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Croatia, which is a joint body of the Armed Forces established within Ministry of Defence responsible for preparation, command and use of the Armed Forces. The Chief of the General Staff is appointed by the commander-in-chief, President of Croatia, to whom Chief of the General Staff is the principal military advisor. Chief of the General Staff is appointed for a period of four years and cannot be reappointed.
As head of the General Staff, Chief of the General Staff has authority to fully command the Armed Forces on the basis of orders of the President of Croatia, decisions of the Minister of Defence and on the basis of provisions that law entitles him. Chief of the General staff is responsible to the President and to the Minister of Defence for the implementation of orders and shall simultaneously inform them of the acts that refer to the use of the Armed Forces.
One of the independent actions that Chief of the General Staff may undertake is to order a temporary standby of the part of the Armed Forces of Croatia in the event of the danger of disasters, major accidents and accidents, of which he shall immediately inform President of the Republic, as well as Minister of Defence.
The incumbent Chief of the General Staff is Colonel general Tihomir Kundid, since 8 March 2024.
List of Chiefs of the General Staff
| No. | Portrait | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Commander-in-Chief | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 | Tus, AntonGeneral of the Army Anton Tus (1931–2023) | 21 September 1991 | 20 November 1992 | 1 year, 60 days |  Croatian Air Force | Franjo Tuđman | – |
| 2 |
 | Bobetko, JankoGeneral of the Army Janko Bobetko (1919–2003) | 20 November 1992 | 15 July 1995 | 2 years, 237 days |  Croatian Army | Franjo Tuđman | – |
| 3 |
 | Červenko, ZvonimirGeneral of the Army Zvonimir Červenko (1926–2001) | 15 July 1995 | 11 November 1996 | 1 year, 119 days | Croatian Army | Franjo Tuđman | – |
| 4 |
 | Miljavac, PavaoGeneral Pavao Miljavac (1953–2022) | 11 November 1996 | 14 October 1998 | 1 year, 337 days | Croatian Army | Franjo Tuđman | – |
| 5 |
.jpg) | Domazet-Lošo, DavorAdmiral Davor Domazet-Lošo (born 1948) | 14 October 1998 | 10 March 2000 | 1 year, 148 days |  Croatian Navy | Franjo Tuđman Stjepan Mesić | – |
| 6 |
 | Stipetić, PetarGeneral of the Army Petar Stipetić (1937–2018) | 10 March 2000 | 30 December 2002 | 2 years, 295 days | Croatian Army | Stjepan Mesić | – |
| 7 |
 | Lucić, JosipGeneral Josip Lucić (born 1957) | 30 December 2002 | 16 January 2008 | 5 years, 17 days | Croatian Army | Stjepan Mesić | – |
| – |
 | Barić, SlavkoLieutenant general Slavko Barić (born 1957) Acting | 16 January 2008 | 28 February 2008 | 43 days | Croatian Army | Stjepan Mesić | – |
| (7) |
| Lucić, JosipGeneral Josip Lucić (born 1957) | 28 February 2008 | 1 March 2011 | 3 years, 1 day | Croatian Army | Stjepan Mesić Ivo Josipović | – |
| 8 |
 | Lovrić, DragoGeneral Drago Lovrić (born 1961) | 1 March 2011 | 1 March 2016 | 5 years | Croatian Army | Ivo Josipović Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović | |
| 9 |
 | Šundov, MirkoGeneral Mirko Šundov (born 1962) | 1 March 2016 | 1 March 2020 | 4 years | Croatian Army | Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović Zoran Milanović | |
| 10 |
.jpg) | Hranj, RobertAdmiral Robert Hranj (born 1962) | 1 March 2020 | 8 March 2024 | 4 years, 17 days | Croatian Navy | Zoran Milanović | |
| 11 |
| Kundid, TihomirColonel general Tihomir Kundid (born 1969) | 8 March 2024 | Incumbent | 303 days | Croatian Army | Zoran Milanović |
Notes
- Previously served as the last commander of the Yugoslav Air Force from 1985 to 1991.
- Served during the Operation Flash (1–3 May 1995).
- Served during the Operation Storm (4–7 August 1995).
- Afterwards served as the Minister of Defence from 1998 to 2000.
References
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- "Zakon o obrani".
- ^ "General-pukovnik Tihomir Kundid novi načelnik Glavnog stožera Oružanih snaga Republike Hrvatske". MORH (in Croatian). 8 March 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- "Lieutenant General Drago Lovric confirmed as Chief of General Staff". morh.hr. Ministry of Defence (Croatia). 1 March 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
- "Lt. Gen. Mirko Šundov assumes duty of Chief of GS". morh.hr. Ministry of Defence (Croatia). 2 March 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
- "President of the Republic Appoints Vice Admiral Robert Hranj Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces". predsjednik.hr. Office of the President (Croatia). 21 February 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
- "Viceadmiral Robert Hranj novi načelnik Glavnog stožera Oružanih snaga". morh.hr (in Croatian). Ministry of Defence (Croatia). 3 March 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2022.