Europe 1 with AFP 07:31, November 26, 2021

French President Emmanuel Macron and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Thursday in Zagreb recorded the sale of 12 used Rafale fighter jets to Croatia, for around one billion euros.

The first six Rafale will be delivered between the third quarter of 2023 and early 2024, the other six before spring 2025.

Another success for the Rafale.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Thursday in Zagreb recorded the sale of 12 used fighter jets to Croatia, for around one billion euros.

During a signing session, the two leaders signed a strategic partnership, then the Croatian Minister of Defense signed two contracts relating to the aircraft with his French counterpart Florence Parly and the CEO of Dassault Aviation, manufacturer of the Rafale.

>> READ ALSO

- Rafale: "We can have other good news on a number of countries", says the CEO of Dassault Aviation

"A historic choice" for Macron

"It is a sovereign choice, the contract that we signed this morning, it is a historic choice", declared Emmanuel Macron.

"It will be the cement of a strategic convergence between our two countries and lays the foundations for a Europe of defense".

"These are planes which will influence the Croatian standing on the international scale and allow us to contribute within the framework of NATO and Croatian defense missions", added Andrej Plenkovic.

With this acquisition, announced in May, Zagreb achieves its largest arms order since the Balkan war and independence.

The first six Rafale will be delivered between the third quarter of 2023 and early 2024, the other six before spring 2025.

The French Air Force and Space deprived of these planes

The contract relates to the sale of 12 Rafale belonging today to the French Air and Space Army, and to the training of personnel from the Croatian Air Force.

The CEO of Dassault Aviation has praised "a new page for the Rafale", which took many years to export but has landed several contracts since 2015.

The French Air Force and Space, which will be deprived of these aircraft for the benefit of Croatia, will benefit in 2023 from an additional order for 12 new Rafale, of which "deliveries will begin from 2027" , said the spokesperson for the Ministry of the Armed Forces, Hervé Grandjean, during a weekly press briefing.