Croatia takes full control of its airspace as Dassault Rafales replace MiG-21s
January 21, 2026
Having fully transitioned from legacy MiG-21 Fishbed fighter jets to modern Dassault Rafales, Croatia has now fully taken charge of policing its own airspace from NATO.
Croatia’s Rafales are now operational and fully replace MiG-21s
NATO’s Allied Air Command reported that Croatian French-made Rafales have now taken over the responsibility for airspace protection under NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) framework.
As Croatia transitioned from MiG-21s to Rafales, a capability gap was temporarily filled by NATO. Croatia began to fully take back control of its own airspace policing on January 1, 2026.
NATO stated, “During the training period, NATO Allies temporarily provided peacetime airspace surveillance and protection for Croatia from neighbouring member states Italy and Hungary under technical agreements between the respective defence ministries. “
Croatia is now fully responsible for protecting its own airspace using new Rafale fighter jets, strengthening NATO’s collective air and missile defence ✈️
— NATO (@NATO) January 19, 2026
This milestone follows extensive training for pilots and ground crews to help them be ready for duty.
🔗 Read more:… pic.twitter.com/cGdbU0GYNB
The interim task of policing Croatian airspace was carried out by Italian Eurofighters and Hungarian Gripens.
NATO states that Croatia will “conduct the Air Policing mission continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week… ready to scramble in case of suspicious or unannounced flights near NATO Airspace.”
Croatia’s fleet of old MiG-21
Croatia became an independent country following the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. Croatia is one of NATO’s newest members, having joined in 2009 before joining the European Union in 2011.
Croatia received its first MiG-21 in February 1992 when a Yugoslav Air Force pilot defected to the newly proclaimed independent Croatia.
[#News] On April 25th, the Croatian Air Force welcomed on its operational base, the first 6 #Rafale powered by our #M88. 👏
— Safran Aircraft Engines (@SafranEngines) April 30, 2024
Croatia becomes the third european country operating the #Rafale after France and Greece. 🇭🇷
Read more ➡ https://t.co/rJIGmN0BGN
📸 @Dassault_OnAir pic.twitter.com/RArySeW8Ye
Two more MiG-21s defected in May, and between 1993 and 1994, Croatia purchased 40 MiG-40s from Ukraine. Of these, 26 were placed into service, with the rest used as spares. Some were lost in combat, and others to accidents with operational MiG-21s receiving upgrades throughout their lives.
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Transitioning to modern Rafale fighter jets
Croatia inked the deal in 2021 to purchase 12 second-hand Rafales valued at €999 million. The last aircraft was taken from French stocks and delivered in April 2025.
Dashing Dozen! The Croatian Air Force proudly showcased its full squadron of 12 Rafales for the first time at the AIRVG2025 air show in Velika Gorica. Croatia received its last Rafale jet from France in April 2025. pic.twitter.com/VKW5DNpBKo
— Air Power (@RealAirPower1) June 10, 2025
But it’s not all plain sailing. Last week, Politico reported that Croatian President Zoran Milanović slammed France for “selling Zagreb secondhand fighter jets while providing its rival Serbia with a brand-new fleet.”
Politico quoted him as saying, “We look like fools because the French sell new Rafales to the Serbs and used ones to us.”
It is unclear why Milanović framed it this way, as the Croat decision to purchase second-hand was made to keep the cost under €1 billion and to expedite delivery as the MiG-21s were in desperate need of replacement.
The Rafale is a high-end fighter jet and is more expensive than fighter jets like the Saab Gripen and F-16.
Soviet-era fighter jets are now rapidly becoming a dying breed in Eastern Europe. Romania has also fully divested its fleet of MiG-21s as it transitions to ex-Norwegian F-16s and later F-35s. Poland is in the process of fully transitioning from MiG-29s to F-16s, F-35s, and FA-50s.
Slovakia has fully retired its MiG-29s as it transitions to F-16s, and Bulgaria is set to shortly follow suit. Serbia has also selected the French Rafale (also 12 units) to replace its ageing MiG-29s after saying it wasn’t feasible to purchase modern Russian fighter jets.
Featured Image: NATO
