Sweden Offers Croatia Gripen Purchase

Croatia has been formally offered the purchase of eight Saab Gripen C/Ds to replace its aged air force fleet of Mikoyan MiG-21 fighters.

Submitted on 10 October, the bid also includes the proposed provision of a "support and training package for pilots and technicians, and a financing solution", says Sweden's Defence and Security Export Agency (FXM). Saab and other Swedish companies would also establish industrial cooperation with Croatian firms under the offer.

"In order to ensure that the Croatian air force remains operative without interruption when its current MiG-21s are decommissioned, Sweden offers a solution where the Gripen C/D aircraft can be operative as soon as within one year after a contract is signed," says Jerry Lindbergh, FXM's programme director for Croatia.

Saab has previously supplied 14 Gripens each to the air forces of the Czech Republic and Hungary as replacements for their previous MiG-21 combat aircraft.