Six Black Hawks landed in Zagreb en route to a military base in Germany as part of a regular rotation of the US members of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR).
The pilots flew over Zagreb for half an hour, showing Croatian reporters some of the manoeuvres of the Black Hawk, a transport and fighter aircraft used in war and rescue operations. It is a standard aircraft in the US, Japanese, Australian, South Korean and Colombian armies.
Senior Croatian and US officials have discussed a number of times the possibility of procuring Black Hawks for the Croatian Air Force.
Croatian Defence Minister Ante Kotromanovic said recently that HRK 10 billion would be invested in the development of the military over the next ten years, including the Air Force, which is equipped with Russian Mi-8 MTV and Mi-117 Sh helicopters, which used to be overhauled in Ukraine. But uncertain deliveries because of the war in Ukraine and the West's sanctions against Russia have made Zagreb consider alternatives and reduce its dependence on Russian weaponry.
Croatian Air Force commander Drazen Scuri said Black Hawks were one of the options and that their procurement depended on cost-effectiveness.
The US delivers $10 million in military equipment to Croatia every year, including a donation of 212 logistics and combat vehicles and the funding of the annihilation of obsolete ammunition.
Aside from KFOR, Croatia and the US successfully cooperate in NATO's mission to Afghanistan and the international coalition against Islamic State.