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
-
![Philippines grows its S-70i fleet with 10 new deliveries]()
Philippines grows its S-70i fleet with 10 new deliveries
The 10 helicopters delivered throughout 2024 make up part of a larger contract for 32 Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters for the country.
-
![Airbus delivers two H225M Caracals to France]()
Airbus delivers two H225M Caracals to France
The Airbus rotorcraft will replace the French Air Force’s Puma helicopters, following the initial contract signing in 2021.
-
![Lithuania to send an extra 4,500 drones to Ukraine despite delivery delays]()
Lithuania to send an extra 4,500 drones to Ukraine despite delivery delays
According to local media sources, thousands of drones destined for Ukraine are currently stuck in warehouses due to bureaucratic delays.
-
![How Chinese advancements will impact the future development of the US Air Force fleet]()
How Chinese advancements will impact the future development of the US Air Force fleet
US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has said that China would continue to be a “problem” for the development of the service’s fleet over the coming decades.
-
![Royal Thai Air Forces’ bid for Saab’s Gripens backed by defence minister]()
Royal Thai Air Forces’ bid for Saab’s Gripens backed by defence minister
The Thai government minister expressed confidence in the aircraft type, noting that a decision on the selection process between the Gripen and F-16 would be “made soon”.
-
![GCAP needs to “avoid mistakes” of previous programmes to meet 2035 date, states UK Defence Committee]()
GCAP needs to “avoid mistakes” of previous programmes to meet 2035 date, states UK Defence Committee
The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) report highlighted issues with opening the programme to other international partners, as well as notable gaps in future training requirement for the sixth-generation aircraft.
