Croatians are building Pelješac bridge to sabotage every passage to the Bosnian sea (Neum)

**Vlatko Vukovic** · 08-09-2018, 09:49 AM

The idea of naval infantry in Ploče did not, of course, have been dependent on the construction of the Pelješac Bridge, since it is believed that the Croatian army had to protect the security of the South South more heavily.
The Pelješac bridge, with which Croatia will be directly connected to its south for at least three years, will thus become the most important strategic infrastructure facility in the country, Vecernji list writes.

As such, it must also have a special level of protection, especially as it is the border area, so it is certainly not a coincidence that from the Cabinet of the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Croatia, Damir Krstičević, they announce that on September 14, after a long series of years, infantry, a unit of naval-descent infantry of the HRM will be located. This is the deployment of the first part of the navy command in the strength of 30 to 50 special forces that will be moved to the reconstructed Neretva military barracks, which will get a new name from the "116th Brigade" from September. Minister Krsticevic confirms that it is a satnija that will have about 160 Croatian "Marines" and 40 other soldiers by the end of 2019.

"The selection is near the end and again we get well-trained naval specialists who, from the deeper south, will be ready for maneuver and intervention from the sea, the land and from the air in the area south of Split to the Prevlaka Cape, and, of course, their work includes supervision and protection of a strategic object like the Peljesac Bridge, "says Krsticevic.

The return of professionals Croatia will, from the very beginning of the construction of the Pelješac bridge that the Chinese begin to build somehow at the same time when Krstičević sends the first lines of Croatian naval marines to Ploče, have all the necessary insurance.

The idea that this kind of naval special unit moves south of Split is part of Krsticevic's strategy that he began to develop immediately upon arrival in the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Croatia, and last year announced that this was part of a project to return the army to cities like Vukovar, Sinj, Varaždin in Ploče. It is about returning about 1,000 professional soldiers to the border regions of Croatia.

Vecernji list says that the idea of naval infantry in Ploče did not depend on the construction of the Pelješac Bridge, since the Army of the Republic of Croatia had to protect the state of the safe south anyway.

In the barracks of the 116th Brigade in Ploce, the Marines will be the seat of the 6th reserve infantry regiment, so it is clear that Ploce is strategically important for the state and in the military sense. Here is Luka Ploče, the plan is to build a LNG plant, and more and more information about the US interest, including their army for infrastructure in and around Ploče.

Croatian marines make this space suitable, because it is beside the barracks and spacious heliports and sea berths, so mariners will be able to use helicopters and quick boats and fast desant ships, depending on the need. Thus in Ploce, the Croatian army will receive an elite unit of special forces that can be quickly deployed across the entire southern part of the country, on land, in the sea and in the islands.

In February 2017, the local leadership of the town of Ploce received with the reserve the idea of returning the army to the city, as they had plans to build a marina at the site of the barracks and marine goods, but now, they say, they see benefits and have even more beautiful coves for the marina. The plates and accommodation of the navy special forces units, in the future and reserve combat, are the priority of the Ministry of Defense and the HV General Staff.