The first six of a total of 12 Rafale multipurpose fighter jets landed in Croatia on Thursday.
The pilots were greeted at Pleso by members of the Croatian leadership, including President Zoran Milanović, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković.
The Rafales took off from the Bordeaux air base and entered Croatian airspace west of Rovinj. The flight lasted one hour and 40 minutes. They were brought in by Croatian pilots who trained for their use for 15 months.
When entering Croatian airspace, the pilots of the Croatian Air Force sent a message to all Croatian citizens:
“We are just entering Croatian airspace, which will be even safer from today. Croatian Rafale and Croatian pilots have arrived home,” announced the Ministry of Defense.
“The arrival of new fighter planes is a significant step forward towards the modernization and strengthening of the Croatian Air Force in airspace protection and a key factor in preserving Croatia’s security in the future, as well as strengthening the overall combat power of the Croatian Army. It also symbolizes the strong cooperation between Croatia and the NATO alliance in joint peacekeeping , stability and security,” the press release added.
The planes arrived in Croatia two years and five months after signing a contract with France worth more than one billion euros, and the arrival of the last of the contracted planes is expected early next year.
On the occasion of the arrival of new Croatian fighter planes, a ceremonial program and a flyover of the acrobatic group Krila Oluje were held at Pleso.
In addition to the Croatian President, Prime Minister and Speaker of the Parliament, the Commander of the Croatian Air Force Mihael Križanec, Chief of the General Staff Tihomir Kundid, representative of the company Daso Avijacija, which manufactures aircraft, Ričard Lavaud, French Ambassador Fabien Žiljem Edmond Fiši and Minister of Defense Ivan Anušić will address those present.
The decision on the purchase of Rafale fighter jets was made by the Croatian Government on May 28, 2021, when it instructed the Ministry of Defense to carry out all the necessary actions in connection with the conclusion of the contract between Croatia and France. That contract was signed on November 25 of the same year by the then Croatian Minister of Defense Mario Banožić and the French Minister of Defense Florence Parli, as part of the official visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Croatia.
The handover of the first Rafale aircraft took place on October 2 last year at the French Air Force base in Mont-d-Marsan. There should be eight planes in Croatia by the end of this year, and the remaining four planes are expected by the end of the first quarter of 2025.
A total of EUR 1.13 billion has been provided for the purchase of Rafale from the Croatian state budget in the period from 2021 to 2026. About 225 million euros have been earmarked for this year, 65 million for the next, while about 18 million euros will be allocated from the Croatian budget for 2026.
The contract between Croatia and France also includes military cooperation, the holding of joint air force exercises of the two countries, and the training of Croatian pilots and technical personnel. To date, around 90 members of the armed forces of various specialties have completed the Rafale training program, according to the Croatian Ministry of Defense, Hina reports.
