Croatia buys French Rafale fighters to replace MiG-21

[thetutle]

But more expensive and higher cost which means whether Croatia can really support such procurement in long run? Plus 12 of them seems not enough to cover all their operation needs.

the 12 are more than enough to prevent an invasion from NATO ally Hungary which has 12 Gripens, NATO ally Slovenia which has 9 propeller Pilatus aircraft. Non-NATO ally Bosnia which has no fixed wing aircraft or even Serbia with its 9 MiG 29's which are 40 years old. I think this makes them an airforce superpower in the neighbourhood.

 

[Trailer23]

I recall a year back they (Croatia) had made a deal with IAF (!srael Air Force) for some F-16's, but it didn't go through at the opposition of the US.

I think Canada picked up some of those F-16 & are using them in Training @Bilal Khan (Quwa) .

I personally think for a Country like Croatia - the GripenNG would've suited them over the Rafale. But hey..., their Country - their Money - their BIG Dreams.

Even with a dozen, they're now playing with the big boys. Big step from those God-forsaken '21's

Lord knows when we'll be rid of our F-7's. Those bloody things aren't even worthy of being parked on Roundabouts.

 

[MirageBlue]

Croatian officials said earlier that the purchase is worth 999 million euros and will involve 10 single-seater and two 2-seater F3R Rafale twin-engine aircraft. The first six Rafales are scheduled to be delivered in 2024, with the rest due the following year.

Oh shoot! 12 for 1 billion! Means 83 Million per unit! Means Modi's corruption got exposed big time!

These are SECOND HAND Rafales that Croatia is buying.

 

[Bilal Khan (Quwa)]

I recall a year back they (Croatia) had made a deal with IAF (!srael Air Force) for some F-16's, but it didn't go through at the opposition of the US.

I think Canada picked up some of those F-16 & are using them in Training @Bilal Khan (Quwa) .

I personally think for a Country like Croatia - the GripenNG would've suited them over the Rafale. But hey..., their Country - their Money - their BIG Dreams.

Even with a dozen, they're now playing with the big boys. Big step from those God-forsaken '21's

Lord knows when we'll be rid of our F-7's. Those bloody things aren't even worthy of being parked on Roundabouts.

The RCAF doesn't operate F-16s. However, Top Aces, a Canadian air training company, bought ex-Israeli F-16s. These are based in Arizona.

Side point, but a privately owned fighter training and aggressor company is a neat concept. I wish we had something like that in Pakistan.

Basically, a company that can pick up used MiG-29s, Su-27/30s, and other old platforms to help the PAF with DACT. Or take a few ex-PAF F-7Ps for DACT in countries with Rafale, F/A-18, etc... @SQ8

 

[Big_bud]

These are SECOND HAND Rafales that Croatia is buying.

Hmm thats an important detail missed up there. Still 216 Million $ per unit of Indian Rafale is exuberant.

 

[MirageBlue]

Hmm thats an important detail missed up there. Still 216 Million $ per unit of Indian Rafale is exuberant.

It included multiple items - 2 bases (Ambala and Hasimara) were set up with maintenance facilities and basing for upto 72 Rafales even though 36 were ordered. Similar thing had been done for the Mirage-2000 when it was inducted into the IAF in the 1980s at Gwalior AFS. Even to day, India is the only other country apart from France where the Mirage-2000 can be overhauled.
India Specific Enhancements (ISE) cost nearly $1 billion to be developed.

 

[INS_Vikrant]

Mig21 to Rafale, that's a big leap

 

[Domobran7]

Keep in mind, 1 billion Euros is more likely to be just purchase price for Rafales and weapons plus training. Total cost of actually introducing Rafales into HRZ will be, according to some Croatian media, around 3 billion Euros. I do not know whether that figure is correct, but it does get one thinking.

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

Croatian officials said earlier that the purchase is worth 999 million euros and will involve 10 single-seater and two 2-seater F3R Rafale twin-engine aircraft. The first six Rafales are scheduled to be delivered in 2024, with the rest due the following year.

Oh shoot! 12 for 1 billion! Means 83 Million per unit! Means Modi's corruption got exposed big time!

Croatia are buying second-hand Rafales, not new ones.
The India contract is not just the fighters. India wanted extra functionality, and had to pay for the development cost.