In the meantime, the task of air policing in the Croatian skies has been entrusted to the Italian Eurofighters and the Hungarian Gripens

The Croatian Air Force received in late November the seventh of 12 used Dassault Rafale fighter jets from France, as part of a Foreign Military Sale signed in 2021, which also includes equipment, training and spare parts for three years. Deliveries will continue with one aircraft per month until the second quarter of 2025. The order reflects Croatia's modernization efforts, which is currently in the transition phase from the Soviet-made MiG-21 supersonic jets, which have been in operation since the country gained independence in 1991, to the French Rafale.

In these days of December, in fact, as made official during a ceremony last August, the country's defense has withdrawn its MiG-21s from operation, an epochal grounding that marks the end of the last operational squadron on this type of fighter in Europe. In the meantime, until the end of 2025, the task of air policing in the Croatian skies has been temporarily transferred to the Italian Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft and the Hungarian Saab Gripen, according to NATO agreements. Meanwhile, the Croatian Air Force will have the opportunity to train its pilots on the Rafale.

The Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-21 (NATO code Fishbed), is a single-engine, delta-wing fighter aircraft developed in the 1950s. Considered one of the aircraft symbols of the Cold War and used primarily by the Soviet Union Air Force, it has been utilized by over 60 Nations and is still in service in numerous countries. With over 10,000 units built, it is the most produced supersonic aircraft in the history of aviation.