ZAGREB, 23 April (Hina) – Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anušić has announced that the Croatian Air Force pilots who have undergone training in France will fly the first six out of the total of 12 Rafale multi-purpose combat aircraft to Croatia on Thursday.

“With a historic flight from Bordeaux to Zagreb, lasting an hour and 40 minutes, the pilots of the victorious Croatian Army, who were trained in France, will bring the powerful fighters and new guardians of our airspace to Croatia on Thursday,” Anušić wrote on the social network X on Tuesday.

“The modernization of the combat aircraft fleet is the largest investment of the Government and the Ministry of Defense in the Croatian Armed Forces and the security of hour homeland,” he added.

About 90 Croatian military personnel were sent to France for training. The training of technical staff began at the end of 2022В and of flight staff in the first quarter of last year.