- pstipanovic@racviac.org
- 00385 1 3330 803
- Stari Hrast 53 Rakitje, Bestovje 10437, Croatia
Area of Responsibility
The Deputy Director supervises, controls, directs and coordinates RACVIAC personnel on all matters and ensures efficient and effective use of all resources. He/she is responsible for RACVIAC Programme Proposal development and for execution of the approved Programme. He/she also develops the RACVIAC Annual Budget, proposes allocation of resources to programmes and seminars, and monitors expenditures. He/she develops policies and procedures that support the RACVIAC mission, integrated activities of the faculty, and effective support to all RACVIAC activities.
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Rear admiral Predrag Stipanović was born on 5 January 1964 in Osijek, Republic of Croatia. He completed the Naval Academy in 1986 in Split, HR, and holds a degree in Maritime Transport Engineering.
On 28 September 1991 he started actively participating in the Homeland War as a member of the first crew of the fast attack missile boat “Šibenik“ in the Maritime forces of the Croatian Navy in Šibenik, HR. From May 1992 to June 1993 he was the deputy commander of the same ship, and from June 1993 to September 1999 he was appointed as commander.
From October 1999 to April 2002 he was the Head of the Subsection for Use and Training Forces in the Command of the Croatian Fleet HQ. In addition to this, in 2001 he was the acting commander of the Division of Patrol Ships in the Croatian Fleet.
After completing his studies in the USA, on 31 January 2003 he was appointed as the Head of the Department for Defence Planning and International Military Cooperation in the Croatian Navy HQ.
After completing the “Ban Josip Jelačić” War College, from 1 August 2007 to 2 March 2008 he was the Chief of Staff – deputy commander of the Croatian Fleet HQ. From 3 March 2009 to 31 January 2015 he was the Chief of Staff in the Croatian Navy HQ (as of 1 January 2013 the position has been changed to Chief of Staff – deputy commander).
From 1 February 2015 to 31 December 2017 he was promoted to the position of commander of the Croatian Navy. Thereafter, from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2021, he was the military representative of the Republic of Croatia to NATO and the EU in the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. At the end of his mandate, on 1 April 2022, he was appointed as the Head of the Military Office of the Cabinet for Defence and National Security in the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia.
In addition to graduating from the Naval Academy during his professional career he completed studies at the following institutions:
– the “Blago Zadro” Command and Staff School, Zagreb, HR (1998-1999);
– the Navy War College, Newport, RI, USA (July-December 2002);
– the “Ban Josip Jelačić” War College of the Croatian Armed Forces (2006-2007).
In addition to military education, during his professional career he participated in numerous operational training courses at home and abroad, such as: Planning Management of Civil Crises (HU), English Language Course (York, UK), Special English Training (Lackland, USA), Strategic Planning Course (Zagreb, HR), NATO/Partner/Mediterranean Dialogue op.SOC (Oberammergau, DE), Maritime Operational Language Seminar (Newport, RI, USA), Senior Executive Course (“George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies”, DE).
During his professional career he has received different awards and was commended several times.
He has been holding the rank of rear admiral since June 2016.
He is married and has two children.
