Međunarodna sigurnosna okolina, u kojoj se isprepliću novi izazovi i opasnosti, zahtijeva od suvremenih država izgradnju višefunkcionalnih struktura u sustavu nacionalne sigurnosti. Oružane snage su među prvima morale prihvatiti postojanje novih zadaća i organizirati se za njihovu provedbu, kako bi i dalje predstavljale legitimni instrument nacionalne sigurnosti u novom sigurnosnom okruženju. Rasprave o reformama u području nacionalne obrane ne mogu se reducirati samo na odluke o ukidanju vojnog roka i/ili profesionalizaciji oružanih snaga, već postoji vrlo izražena potreba razgovora i odluka o mnogim drugim bitnim pitanjima. Reformama u obrambenim sustavima i oružanim snagama u Europi dominiraju rasprave o drukčijem načinu popune oružanih snaga, koje proizlaze iz premise o demilitarizaciji demokratskih društava. Ona više nisu suočena s izravnom vojnom prijetnjom, već s nizom drugih opasnosti, što podrazumijeva nužne strukturne i institucionalne promjene u sustavu nacionalne sigurnosti. Najsloženije promjene poduzimaju se upravo u oružanim snagama. U uvjetima smanjene vojne prijetnje ne postoji više potreba za mnogoljudnim vojskama, pa su i prve promjene bile upravo smanjivanje brojčanog sastava. S obzirom na pojavu mnogih pojednostavljivanja stvarnih problema u području obrane (primjerice, inzistiranje na ukidanju vojnog roka uzrokuje velike posljedice na mnoge dijelove obrambenog sustava, ali se o tome ne govori), potrebno je provesti sveobuhvatnu raspravu o budućem razvoju obrambenog sustava i Oružanih snaga Republike Hrvatske.International security environment, which is characterized by interwoven new threats and dangers, demands from the modem states to establish multifunctional structures in their national security system. Armed forces were the first to acknowledge and accept existence of new tasks and they underwent certain reorganization in order to accomplish those tasks so that they could continue to represent a legitimate instrument of national security in the new security environment. Debates on reforms in the field of national defense cannot be simply reduced to deciding upon on abolition of military service or/and professionalization of armed forces, but there is a pressing need to discuss other very important issues as well. Debates on a different type of replenishment of armed forces prevail in discussions regarding reforms in defense systems and armed forces in Europe, which ensue from presumption of demilitarization of democratic societies. They no longer face any direct military threat, but are threatened by a whole range of other dangers, which implies indispensable structure and institutional changes in national security systems. Armed forces are undergoing the most complicated changes and alterations. Under circumstances of lessened military threat there is no need for an army with a great number of soldiers and thus the first changes referred to reduction of number of soldiers. As numerous simplifications of actual problems in the field of defense have emerged (for instance persistence on abolition of military service could have major repercussions on many parts of defense system, but this issue is out of discussion) it is necessary to put the issue of future development of defense system and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia under a comprehensive discussion
