With 12 planes purchased by Croatia, the Rafale confirms its late success
A Rafale aircraft landed in the cubierta del portaaviones francés Charles de Gaulle, el 1 de octubre de 2016 en aguas del mar Mediterráneo Eric Feferberg AFP / Archivos
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Croatia has announced its intention to acquire twelve second-hand units of the Rafale, the flagship of French defense aeronautics.
In total, 156 aircraft were sold abroad, more than the 137 Rafale of the French army.
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The Rafale struggled to find its way to export ... Twenty years were necessary for the aircraft to reach maturity and face its tests during operations.
The Rafale, in its latest F3R version, has really become attractive.
Reconnaissance, interception and ground attack, the device can do it all.
And orders are multiplying.
After Egypt
, Qatar, India and
Greece,
Croatia has just placed an order for twelve aircraft.
The Croatian contract, which should be signed at the end of the year, amounts to one billion euros.
The planes will be taken from the Air Force fleet for delivery scheduled for 2023 and 2025.
Swiss and Finnish contracts in the sights
This new commercial success, if it is not the most important in volume, is nevertheless strategic.
Because in Croatia, the Rafale was in competition with the American F-16 in a very open competition.
It is therefore the first time that he has won against his American rival.
And this sale could appeal to others in Europe.
In the coming weeks, Switzerland and Finland are due to vote.
This represents two contracts for a hundred devices.
If the Rafale wins, it would undoubtedly go from a cursed plane to a bestseller, as the Mirage was in its time.
► To read also: Rafale order placed by Egypt: a mega-contract which is timely for Dassault
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