Sadly*, I also don’t see much hope for a future Croatian fighter force – at least for the short term. Croatia is not in a great position economically and, as it is now an EU member state, constraints on its budget deficit and the proportion of international debt raised will likely prevent it from financing such a large acquisition. That said, some form of military aid from a NATO ally designed to finance second-hand airframes cannot be excluded at this point.
* I say sadly but I can’t in all honesty be too sad thanks to the use of the ’21s as part of annual Oluja celebrations (though I will admit they have looked very smart in their various paint-schemes). I’m not trying to make a political point – I wish Croatia all the best and hope its military continues to be a professional force and a factor for stability in the region – I was just trying to be forthright about my opinions.
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