Croatia signs on the dotted line for a dozen Rafales
French defence minister Florence Parly (seated on the left) and French President Emmanuel Macron formally signed a deal on 25 November to sell 12 second-hand Rafale aircraft to Croatia. (Photo: French MoD)
A total of 12 Rafale F3R fighters — plus a simulator, training services and support equipment — will be delivered to Croatia by Q1 2025.
Croatia on 25 November signed a government-to-government contract with France to buy 12 ex-French Air and Space Force Rafale F3R multirole fighters.
A separate contract for logistical support was also signed on 25 November in Zagreb, at a ceremony attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, Croatian PM Andrej Plenković, French defence minister Florence Parly and Eric Tripper, CEO of Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation.
The overall package will cost Croatia €1.15 billion ($1.3 billion), slightly more than the €999 million cited by Plenković in May 2021 when he announced plans to buy ten single-seat and two twin-seat Rafales.
Croatia will pay in six annual instalments from 2021 to 2026.
The deal includes ground support equipment, maintenance services and training on a Rafale simulator.
Croatian Air Force technicians will be sent to France for training in 2022, long before aircraft deliveries are completed in Q4 2024-Q1 2025 to replace an elderly fleet of MiG-21bis/UM fighters.
Authorities in Zagreb did not specify which weapons would arm the Croatian Rafales, merely mentioning they would be equipped with ‘basic modern’ air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles.
Nor did they specify if AESA radar would be installed on the F3Rs.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![DSEI 2025: The fighter market shift to Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T)]()
DSEI 2025: The fighter market shift to Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T)
Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) capabilities is set to become a market differentiator for fighter aircraft, allowing 4.5-5th generation platforms to remain relevant to the battlefield.
-
![Project Kuiper’s LEO network pioneers Space-as-a-Service]()
Project Kuiper’s LEO network pioneers Space-as-a-Service
The Kuiper Network enables organizations to buy, rather than build, applications that serve mission needs at mission speed.
-
![DSEI 2025: Helsing and Systematic join forces to revolutionise drone recce-strike missions]()
DSEI 2025: Helsing and Systematic join forces to revolutionise drone recce-strike missions
The partnership will integrate Helsing’s AI-powered systems with the Systematic SitaWare suite of C4ISR currently used by more than 50 nations, enabling faster data exchange between ISR UAVs and Helsing’s HX-2 loitering munitions.
-
![DSEI 2025: UK launches Project Octopus to deliver thousands of interceptor drones to Ukraine]()
DSEI 2025: UK launches Project Octopus to deliver thousands of interceptor drones to Ukraine
The programme will work to build and deploy the drones to Ukraine to support its fight against Russia, coming a day after Poland shot down 19 Russian drones in its airspace.
-
![DSEI 2025: NATO members evaluate Black Widow UAV as it joins NSPA catalogue]()
DSEI 2025: NATO members evaluate Black Widow UAV as it joins NSPA catalogue
The addition of Red Cat’s Black Widow to NATO’s NSPA catalogue opens the doors for allied forces to more easily procure the AI-enabled drone.
