Anušić: Military procurement in Europe is not as much of a 'panic' as it seems

“The rearmament of European Union member states is not as much of a 'panic' as it seems,” said Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anušić on Tuesday in Paris after a meeting with his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu.

In a statement to the media, minister Ivan Anušić said that he and Sebastien Lecornu discussed, among other things, the ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030 plan, a defense package that should free up 800 billion euros for defense investments in the next four years.

“The situation is such that everyone needs everything immediately, at least that's the impression, but it's not that panicky and there's no need to constantly be in some kind of semi-panic phase,” Anušić said, adding that "we have time".

“We are preparing. This is the time that is ahead of us and that we must use. Specifically, we are talking about a medium-range air defense system, that is what we are interested in at the moment and what we must procure,” Anušić said.

He mentioned the short-range air defense system that will be "fully delivered to Croatia by the end of the year."

“By the end of the year, we plan to sign a contract for the purchase of 30 Caesar howitzers,” he added.

Last year, Croatia signed a framework agreement with France on the joint purchase of 155 mm Caesar self-propelled howitzers.

Anušić said that he also discussed with Lecornu the modernization and new technologies that our Rafale fighter jets will have in the future, air defense and everything that the Croatian armed forces need.

“Every day, generations of fighter jets are gaining new capabilities that are reflected in the new, higher-quality and more efficient operation of these fighter jets. And that's what we talked about, when we talk specifically about our Rafales and their modernization and upgrade in the future, which the French are currently working on for their Rafales.

On Monday, the Minister visited Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of the Rafale fighter jets, in Paris, and announced continued cooperation related to their equipment, upgrades and armament.

“Croatian-French defense cooperation has been steadily increasing since 2021, and relies on the largest project of purchasing 12 used Rafale multi-role combat aircraft. In light of the European Armaments Plan, Croatia sees further scope for cooperation with the French Republic, especially when it comes to joint procurement,” announced the Croatian Ministry of Defense in a statement.

Source: HRT