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Croatia took delivery Thursday of six Rafale fighter jets it has bought from France in the country\u2019s biggest arms purchase since its 1991 war of independence.<\/p>\n
The used warplanes \u2014 the first part of a 12-jet deal \u2014 touched down in the capital Zagreb, heralding a major overall of Croatia\u2019s air force, which is replacing its fleet of ageing Soviet-era MiGs.<\/p>\n
Outgoing Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and other top officials held an arrival ceremony for the planes, which were flown by Croatian pilots after months of training in France.<\/p>\n
Plenkovic hailed what he called \u201cthe biggest day for the strengthening of the Croatian army and air force\u201d in years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a deterrent power that we have not had before,\u201d said Plenkovic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is changing our international position, including in NATO and the European Union.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2021, Croatia agreed to buy the 12 jets in a deal worth one billion euros ($1.3 billion) \u2014 its biggest arms purchase since it fought to break away from the former Yugoslavia three decades ago.<\/p>\n
The EU member chose the French package over bids from Israel, Sweden and the United States.<\/p>\n
Croatia joined NATO in 2009 and the EU four years later.<\/p>\n
Last year, Zagreb spent slightly below NATO\u2019s recommended threshold of two percent of gross domestic product on defence, according to the alliance\u2019s figures.<\/p>\n
Pressure has risen for NATO members to respect their spending targets after Russia\u2019s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Croatia\u2019s neighbour and longtime rival Serbia is also hoping to sign a deal to purchase Rafale jets from France soon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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