Croatia to buy 12 French Rafale fighters for $1.2 billion

ZAGREB, Croatia: Croatia announced Friday that it will purchase 12 used Rafale fighter jets from France for nearly 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion), to replace its aging fleet of Soviet-era aircraft and strengthen its air force amid lingering tensions in the Balkans.

The selection of the French aircraft, announced by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, follows a long bidding process that was plagued by delays. Other offers had included new F-16s from the United States, new JAS-39 Gripen planes from Sweden, and used F-16s from Israel. Plenkovic said Croatia’s largest single military purchase since it split from the Yugoslav federation in the 1991-95 war will be worth 999 million euros and will involve 10 single-seater and two 2-seater F3R Rafale twin-engine aircraft.