Croatian Air Force receives the first six Rafales from France into service. Deliveries of all 12 aircraft will be complete by mid-2025.
French manufacturer Dassault Aviation announced that the first six of 12 Rafale fighter jets had been delivered to the Croatian Air Force. The Rafale fighter jets were delivered to the Ministry of Defence of Croatia at the French Air and Space Force base at Mont-de-Marsan. in France in 2023.
The first batch of six Rafale fighter jets were delivered to the 91st operational base near the capital, Zagreb, at a ceremony attended by the Croatian Prime Minister and Croatian Defence Minister.
The next set of aircraft to follow, the Rafale fighter aircraft, will be stationed at Squadron 191. Six aircraft will arrive in Croatia by the end of 2024, with the entire fleet completed by mid-2025.
Croatia has selected Rafale fighter jets to replace its ageing MiG-21 fighter jets. The € 1.15 billion agreement was signed in November 2021. The Croatian Air Force intends to operate the Rafale fighter jets until the early 2050s.
The surplus of 12 Rafales from the French Air and Space Force includes 10 Rafale C single-seat fighters and two Rafale B twin-seat fighters of the F3-R standard.
The First Batch of Croatian Rafales Enters the Service
