Joint flights of Croatian MiG 21’s and French Rafale over Croatia

As part of planned bilateral activities of the Croatian Military with the French Navy, a joint exercise of pilots from the 191st Fighter Squadron of the Croatian Air Force and French Rafale pilots from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was conducted today.

Joint flights of Croatian MiG 21’s and French Rafale were conducted in the airspace over Istria, Kvarner, Lika and Kordun, and over the cities of Rijeka, Pula and Zadar. Croatian and French pilots also flew over the capital Zagreb as announced by the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Croatia.

Today, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković visited the French aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle" and said that the exercise of Croatian and French military forces and the flight of French Rafales over Croatia sent a message of strong strategic partnership between the two countries and security to Croatian citizens.

“They will fly over Croatia today and thus send a message of security, friendship and partnership between France and Croatia and a message of security to Croatian citizens, for which I thank them,” said Plenković from the aircraft carrier.

“This is part of activities undertaken at the political level,” said Plenković, in direct agreement with French President Emanuel Macron, after a drone that took off from Ukraine fell in Zagreb.

The French aircraft carrier and seven other ships – including American and Greek ships - are located in the Adriatic near Dubrovnik. They participate in the support mission to countries bordering Ukraine and are involved in control operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Source: HRT