Education system contributing to the art of command and leadership of the Croatian naval units

Naval officers when carrying out command duties at all levels represent a crucial element in commanding and leading naval units. They are a part of a highly formalized military system. Developed command, leadership and managerial skills as essential excellence factors which commanders have to possess are indispensable for timely planning of processes and supervision of the execution of planned activities. The goal of this paper is to research and analyze characteristics required for command duties in the Croatian Navy’s naval units. The expected outcome of this paper is to point out the fact that completed naval/civilian studies, followed by advanced military education and experience acquired on naval vessels are a basis for promotion to highest officer duties in the Croatian Navy.