The Evaluator Team of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces headed by Colonel Mijo Kožić, administered the evaluation of the readiness and the national certification of the HRVCON to EUBG 2017/1, composed of a PSYOPS Platoon, staff personnel and NSE during the Exercise  “Poskok 16/2“ in the Barracks “Josip Jović” at Udbina from 9 – 11 November 2016. 

The EUBG during the stand-by period (the first half of 2017)  comprises the countries of the Defence Co-operation Initiative alongside Italy (the Lead Nation), Austria, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia.

The national certification according to the CREVAL criteria for NATO Response Force, administered with the EU Battlegroup across the spectrum of operations aimed to provide the commanders of the Croatian Armed Forces units with insight into the readiness of the national forces and staff personnel by the EUBG standards.  National certification is a national obligation and responsibility preceding the final certification of all EUBG components to be conducted during the European Wind Exercise in Italy from 21 November –  4 December 2016. 

The “Poskok“ scenario incorporated the situations anticipable for a PSYOPS platoon, the opposing force (OPFOR) and the Role Players. The scenario featured the Main Events and Main Incident Lists (MEL/MIL), to evaluate the tasks from the required Capability matrix of the PSYOPS Platoon and staff personnel. The members of the HRVCON-a have displayed trainedness, preparedness and ability to successfully complete the tasks during the stand-by period (the first half of 2017). 

The PSYOPS Platoon is assigned to the PSYOPS Company engaged across the operational spectrum – ranging from peace to war and intensive combat actions. 

PSYOPS is a non-lethal and non-kinetic special operations capability and is one of the key capabilities in modern both military and non-military activities.  

Psychological operations (PSYOPS) also referred to as information operation, communication operations or influence operations are increasingly engaged in support of the ongoing operations; and we constantly receive requests for PSYOPS forces, officers and NCOs“, says Colonel Svjetlana Doričić, the evaluator in the PSYOPS segment and the national representative to the Exercise “European Wind“. 

The Croatian PSYOPS offers a capability respected by many international units. Its potential has been recognised by the Evaluator Team itself, who engaged to develop an optimal evaluation process. The overall process of the establishment, equipment, the planning documents, the training and the preparation for the evaluation of the PSYOPS team was  administered by the Operations Directorate of the General Staff in co-operation with the various units of the Croatian Armed Forces. 

Colonel Kožić declared upon the completion of the Exercise that the PSYOPS Team, the staff personnel and the members of the NSE were rated trained and prepared and hence evaluated “Combat Ready“ to take on all tasks and activities during the upcoming interational exercise “European Wind“, which is to confirm the nationally certified readiness status and the declared matrix of the Croatian Contingent.