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A Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet performs
during the second weekend of the AIR14 air show on Sept. 6, 2014, in Payerne,
western Switzerland. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP)
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WARSAW, Poland — Croatia’s Ministry of Defence has
shortlisted two offers in its tender to purchase 18 fighter jets for the
country’s Air Force. These include Israel’s offer to supply the F-16D Barak
aircraft and Sweden’s bid to deliver JAS 39 Gripen fighters, a senior
government source told local broadcaster RTL Televizija.
The Croatian ministry said last month it received four
offers, including bids submitted by the U.S., Israel, Sweden and Greece. The
latest development means that the American and Greek offers to supply new or
secondhand Lockheed Martin F-16s were discarded.
The Croatian government has been mulling plans to
purchase new or secondhand Lockheed Martin F-16s, offered by the U.S., Israel
and Greece, or buy Saab JAS 39 Gripens from Sweden. The ministry is expected to
make a final decision this year.
The unnamed government official said that new F-16s, with
a price tag of about $120 million per aircraft, were evaluated as too expensive
by the Croatian government. The planned acquisition is estimated to be worth
between €500 million (U.S. $596 million) and €1 billion.
Croatia plans to replace its outdated, Soviet-designed
Mikoyan MiG-21 fighter jets with new aircraft. The first jets are to be
delivered to the country’s Air Force by late 2020.
Original post: defensenews.com
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