According to information published by Reuters on May 28, 2021, the Croatian government will buy 12 Dassault Rafale F3-R fighter jets to modernize its Air Force in a deal worth 999 million euros, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said.
Other offers in the process included those from the United States, Sweden, and Israel. But as we announced on the 25th of May, the Croatian government has decided to buy 12 used French F3R Rafale fighter jets. F3-R is the upgraded version of the Rafale F3 and is fitted with RBE AESA radar and an advanced infrared search tract system.
Croatian Air Force has been attempting to replace its antique MiG-21BisD/UMD fighters from Yugoslavia’s socialist era.
Croatia; Rafale deal confirmed