Croatia receives first batch of French Rafale fighter jets
The Dassault Rafale is a delta-wing agile aircraft with forward canards, which allow for short landing and slower speeds. (Photo: Dassault Aviation)
Croatia will receive a total of 12 used Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft from France by 2025.
France has delivered the first six Rafale fighters to the Croatian Air Force. The jets, four single-seat and two dual-seat, landed at Zagreb on 25 April.
Croatia confirmed the procurement of 12 second-hand French multirole fighters to replace its ageing MiG-21 fleet in May 2021.
In November 2021, a €1.1 billion (US$1.2 billion) contract was signed to procure 12 second-hand fighters comprising 10 single-seat and two dual-seat aircraft. All fighters will be provided with the F3R standard.
Alongside the fighters, the Croatian Air Force will also receive a flight simulator, a basic weapons package, ground and test equipment, spare parts, personnel training and a field support package covering a period of three years and a warranty of 12 months. Deliveries will be set to conclude by the end of next year.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![How the UK’s New Medium Helicopter award strengthens AW149’s European prospects]()
How the UK’s New Medium Helicopter award strengthens AW149’s European prospects
The UK advanced its long-delayed New Medium Helicopter programme in March with a £1 billion order for 23 Leonardo AW149s. While the deal could provide a foundation for further UK and European export orders, funding pressures and previous delays continue to cloud the programme’s future.
-
![UK air focus: Drone spending trails European frontline states despite $10.46 billion valuation]()
UK air focus: Drone spending trails European frontline states despite $10.46 billion valuation
Despite the UK having the third-largest military UAV market in Europe, the country appears to be underinvesting in the capability relative to the size of its economy, particularly when compared with Baltic and eastern European states.
-
![Proteus: Forging the future of autonomous rotorcraft]()
Proteus: Forging the future of autonomous rotorcraft
As the home of British helicopters, Leonardo has worked with the UK Ministry of Defence for over a decade to advance technologies underpinning uncrewed rotorcraft. Today, in partnership with UK Defence Innovation and the Royal Navy, Leonardo is spearheading the next step in that journey: from remotely piloted technologies to fully autonomous systems.
-
![“Fifth-gen capability without the cost”: how autonomous strike can change the face of air warfare]()
“Fifth-gen capability without the cost”: how autonomous strike can change the face of air warfare
In Conversation… Armor Harris, Senior Vice President for Aircraft at Shield AI, talks to Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan about why cost-effective autonomous aircraft are a game-changer for air forces worldwide, and the key roles played by VTOL and AI as enabling technologies.
