The Croatian Air Force has received the first batch of Dassault Rafale fighter jets under a 2021 contract.
The six jets arrived at an airbase close to the capital, Zagreb, on Thursday, where a special ceremony was held to welcome the jets. “This is a historic moment for Croatia, we realized our dream,” Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said at the event.
Delivery follows the formal handover of the first aircraft to the Croatian Air Force, which took place on October 2, 2023.
After considering several other European-made fighter jets, Croatia selected the Rafale to replace its aging MiG-21s, signing a contract with France on November 25, 2021, for the purchase of 12 second-hand jets, at an expected price of around EUR999 million. Of the 12, 10 are single-seat while the other two are two-seat models.
The other six on order should be delivered in 2025.
Earlier in April, Croatia’s neighbor Serbia indicated that it plans to finalize a contract for its own purchase of the Dassault Rafale, which should come when French President Emmanuel Macron visits Belgrade in the coming months.
Military markets analyst, covering Eurasia, Middle East, and Africa.
