Croatia Offered Second-Hand French Rafale Jets

France offered to sell 12 second-hand Rafale jets to Croatia, weeks after it said it will give away 8 used jets to Greece as a “gift.”

On October 14, Chief of the Defence Staff François Gérard Marie Lecointre confirmed France’s offer to Croatia was made in September. Around late August France and Greece reached an agreement for the latter to acquire 18 Rafales of which 10 new ones will be bought while the remaining will be provided for free. When asked about the Greek deal, he said, “The sale of Rafale to Greece is a great success.”

Croatia has so far received offers from the U.S. (new Lockheed F-16 Block 70 jets), Sweden (new Saab Gripen /D model jets), France (used Rafale jets) and Israel (used F-16 Block 30 jets).

Defence Minister Mario Banozic said on October 4 that all four offers of fighter jets were equal for now. The country is looking for a multi-purpose jet and is studying weapons systems, flight simulators and further training of pilots and technical personnel, other than the financial aspect. Croatia is expected to choose a jet by December 12.