Breaking news
Croatia, Sweden Defence Ministers discussing Gripen fighter jet procurement.
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World Defense & Security News - Sweden & Croatia
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Croatia, Sweden Defence Ministers discussing Gripen fighter jet procurement
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Croatia's Defence Minister Damir Krsticevic and the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, General Mirko Šundov on 25 September 2017 discussed with the Swedish Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist the possibility to equip the country's air force with SAAB JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets, the Croatian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
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 A Swedish Air Force JAS-39C Gripen fighter jet(Credit: SAAB/Stefan Kalm) |
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Krsticevic stressed the procurement as one of the most important future projects for Croatia and the parameters for the selection of the aircraft – the bilateral agreement, the price and the business and economy co-operation package.
“The procedure will be conducted transparently , with all segments scrutinised to ensure the best option for Croatia. We also need business and economy co-operation with our prospective partner to boost the ecomomy, expansion of business for the firms in Croatia and creation of new jobs for our citizens“. The agenda also featured the future co-operation ,through the exchange of experiences pertaining to the implementation of capability targets. Krsticevic said Sweden was an important economic partner for Croatia, which is interested in continued development of the bilateral economy relations. Hultqvist stressed that Sweden was investing significant amounts into defence and building of new capabilities. In June 2017, Croatia announced its intention to purchase at least 18 fighter jets to replace its outdated Soviet-designed aircraft. The two leading contenders for the Croatian fighter jet contract reportedly include Lockheed Martin's F-16 and Saab's JAS-39 Gripen, and considered alternatives comprise France’s Mirage, Israeli Kfir and a variant of the South Korean T-50. |
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