Competing with new American F-16s, used Israeli F-16s and new Swedish Gripens, the French used Rafales were chosen because they represented "the best deal", according to Croatia.
This sale "illustrates the strengthening of strategic links between France and Croatia", according to Paris.
Croatia announced on Friday that it had chosen 12 second-hand French Rafale fighter jets to modernize its armed forces, an order worth around one billion euros. The government "considered that France's offer was the best and decided (to buy) 12 Rafale multirole fighter jets," Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said, adding that the chosen plane "is considered to be the 'one of the best in the world'. The French aircraft were in competition with new American F-16s, second-hand Israeli F-16s and new Swedish Gripens.
Three weeks after the purchase of new Rafale by Egypt, the French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, considered that this sale of 12 Rafale "illustrated the strengthening of strategic links between France and Croatia".