Over 130 fighter and enabler aircraft from twelve countries participated in a two-week military exercise.Continue reading
Until Croatian pilots have fully mastered the operation of the Rafale fighter aircraft, Hungarian and Italian fighter jets will take over the defense of Croatia’s skies. Negotiations on this are nearing their end, and the MiG aircraft previously used by the Croats will be “retired,” Dnevnik.hr reports.
Brigadier and Deputy Commander of the Croatian Air Force Željko Ninić told the Croatian news site that they had already reached the end of the negotiations, and “everything should be agreed by the end of the year.”
The Hungarian Gripen fighter jets will reportedly take over the northern and continental part of the country, while Italian Eurofighters will have a duty in the Adriatic.
Dnevnik.hr has learned that the deal was signed last month on behalf of the defense ministries by the Air Forces’ commanders, but without informing the public.
Croatia’s newly received Rafale fighter jet. Photo: Wikipedia
Ninić explained that everything they are doing now with their own fighter jets and operations center will continue. The only thing that will change, he said, is that Croatian fighters will not take off on NATO alerts, but neighboring member states will take off with their own aircraft.
These jets will be the same as those used to patrol the Hungarian or Italian skies, only their area of responsibility will be slightly expanded.
This means that there will be no additional costs for Croatia. “This is the practice of other European countries, which are in a similar situation as Croatia,” Ninić added.
Although the first new F-16 aircraft have now been delivered, it will take at least a year for them to be fully integrated into the Slovak Air Force. Meanwhile, within the framework of a V4 agreement on cooperation in the field of military aviation, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary are helping Slovakia with its air patrols extended until the end of 2025.
Via Dnevnik.hr, Featured image: Honvedelem.hu