In May 2021, the Croatian government decided so Buys twelve used Dessault Rafale F3R fighter jets for €1.13 billion: Ten single-seat fighter aircraft and two two-seat aircraft.
The selected multifunctional aircraft belong to the family of combat aircraft of the latest generation and are among the best in the world – said Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic at the time, noting that with this the country will gain the capability with which In the next thirty to forty years, the combat power of the Croatian Army will increase several times.
The fighter planes left Bordeaux Airport in the morning, carrying Croatian pilots who had previously participated in several months of training in France.
Two more fighter jets are scheduled to arrive in Croatia by the end of this year, and the remaining four fighters are expected to arrive by the end of the first quarter of 2025.
Croatia's only fighter squadron consists of eight MiG-21 BIS supersonic fighters and four UM trainers. The repair of the aircraft was accompanied by a serious scandal: the Croatian military prosecutor launched an investigation in March 2016 due to a series of errors occurring during the use of the aircraft.
During the investigations, it was revealed that Ukraine did not sell original MiG-21 fighter aircraft to Croatia, but machines assembled from parts purchased from other countries.
The serial numbers of the purchased aircraft were perforated, and the parts serial numbers did not match those in the documentation. For years, only a few of them flew, and even those who did spent minimal time in the air. At the same time, from 2023, these aircraft will not be able to take off either, because their technical shelf life has expired. During this time, Italy and Hungary provided protection for Croatia's airspace.
Cover image source: Getty Images
