Croatia officially receives first Dassault Rafale fighter jet
Croatia announced the Rafale as the winner of the fighter aircraft procurement programme in May 2021. (Photo: Croatian Air Force/French Air Force)
The official handover of the first Dassault Rafale B jet is a key development in a deal involving 12 aircraft for Croatia. This marks the start of a transition from Croatia's Soviet-era MiG-21 fighters and legacy aircraft.
The Croatian Air Force has officially received its first second-hand Dassault Rafale B jet at Base Aérienne (BA) 118 Mont-de-Marsan in the south-west of France, the service announced on 2 October.
A dual-seater Rafale B was spotted earlier in September landing at the air base, but this was the first official ceremony for the French-made fighters.
Until the arrival of the French jet, Croatia has been operating a dozen Soviet-era MiG-21 multirole fighters, 14 Pilatus C-9 turboprop training aircraft and four Zlin Z 42 single-engine Czechoslovakian trainers.
Zagreb announced the winner of the MiG-21 fighter replacement programme in May
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Air Warfare
-
![Anduril UK and GKN Aerospace collaborate on British Army ACP bid]()
Anduril UK and GKN Aerospace collaborate on British Army ACP bid
The pair will submit their demonstrator concept for Project Nyx, a development project for the British Army’s Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform.
-
![US Army command’s Picatinny CLIK common lethal drone interface makes progress]()
US Army command’s Picatinny CLIK common lethal drone interface makes progress
The Picatinny Common Lethality Integration Kit is designed to overcome the issue of unique integration methods between lethal payloads and drones as well as avoiding problematic acquisition conditions created by vendor lock.
-
![Australia invests extra A$1.4 billion in MQ-28A Ghost Bat after successful missile fire test]()
Australia invests extra A$1.4 billion in MQ-28A Ghost Bat after successful missile fire test
The investment includes new contracts for six MQ-28A Ghost Bat aircraft, as well as provisional funds to invest in the development of a Block 3 prototype.
-
![Northrop Grumman to fly new Project Talon CCA by late 2026]()
Northrop Grumman to fly new Project Talon CCA by late 2026
The newly unveiled collaborative combat aircraft looks to strike a balance between capability and cost-effectiveness, according to the company.
-
![MBDA and Lockheed move closer to F-35A Meteor flight tests]()
MBDA and Lockheed move closer to F-35A Meteor flight tests
Following the completion of successful ground tests, one more exercise remains before flight testing can begin.
