According to the Croatian military magazine Hrvatski Vojnik, the delivery of the Croatian Dassault Rafale has been completed with the exception of the last aircraft. Accordingly, eleven of the twelve used Rafale F3-Rs ordered on June 25, 2021 have now arrived in Croatia (ten single-seat and two two-seat aircraft).
The package, worth almost 1.2 billion euros, included a flight simulator, comprehensive support until the end of 2026 and a 12-month warranty for the aircraft, engines, equipment and spare parts.
In total, the agreements comprised three contracts with Dassault Aviation, MBDA France and Safran Electronic & Defense, which will be paid in six annual installments from 2021 to 2026.
The Croatian Air Force (Hrvatsko ratno zrakoplovstvo
i protuzračna obrana/HZR) describes the decision to purchase the multi-role combat aircraft as a “strategic decision” that “creates a long-term political and economic bond with France and the manufacturer Dassault”.
Also Serbia ordered twelve Rafale aircraft last year. However, these are new F4.1s with delivery starting in 2029. The order is worth an estimated 2.7 billion euros.
France will produce a further 42 single-seaters in the F3 standard for the French Air Force in the fifth production tranche from 2027. This also includes a complete replacement of the twelve aircraft handed over to Croatia.
The Dassault Rafale will only be built to the new F5 standard from the planned sixth production tranche, presumably from 2029. Of the 45 aircraft planned for France to date, 33 are earmarked for the air force and 12 for the navy.
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